Strait of Hormuz
Regional powers seek off-ramp from Iran war, and other Middle East developments
Qatar and other regional powers sought an off-ramp from the war with Iran on Thursday as another tanker attack was reported in the Strait of Hormuz, and the Iranian government dismissed the Trump administration’s latest sanctions. Elsewhere in the Middle East, Israel continued its attacks on Gaza and Lebanon even as the country’s strikes on […]
After six months of Iran war, US goals have shifted. The Strait of Hormuz is now a top concern
WASHINGTON | When President Donald Trump launched the war with Iran in late February, he initially forecast it would last four to five weeks. Six months later, there’s still no off-ramp in sight despite Trump’s repeated assertions that the war has been won or a deal to resolve it was nearly complete. A June memorandum […]
Regional powers seek off-ramp from Iran war, and other Middle East developments
JERUSALEM | Regional powers sought an off-ramp from the war with Iran as another tanker attack was reported in the Strait of Hormuz, and the Iranian government dismissed the Trump administration’s latest sanctions. Elsewhere in the Middle East, a Jerusalem court acquitted a man accused of beating a Catholic nun, but ordered him to undergo […]
Iran warns of military ship ban in Hormuz under potential deal with Oman and other Middle East news
Iran will not allow military vessels to transit through the Strait of Hormuz under an agreement the Islamic Republic is currently negotiating with Oman, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister told state TV late on Tuesday night. The top diplomats of the two countries met to discuss managing commercial shipping traffic in the vital waterway, which remains […]
Iranian families struggle to afford the basics as US ratchets up economic warfare
TEHRAN, Iran | Tehran’s grocery stores are well-stocked, but many families can barely afford the basics. Unemployment is soaring and those with jobs are working more hours for money worth half as much as a year ago, putting food, medicine and everything else — except for heavily subsidized gasoline — further out of reach. “We […]
Trump warns of ‘economic D-Day’ against Iran, but Tehran is well acquainted with sanctions
NEW YORK | Nearing the six-month mark of the Iran war and facing diminishing stockpiles of key weapons, the Trump administration is touting a crushing financial campaign against Tehran, promising an “economic D-Day” against a country that has so far withstood nearly five decades of punishing American sanctions. With sparse details, President Donald Trump announced […]
Trump says US has no planned talks with Iran and other news from the Middle East
President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the U.S. has no planned talks with Iran but insisted the Strait of Hormuz remains “open and operating,” despite limited traffic and a reported strike on a ship exiting the waterway. Trump wrote on social media that a U.S. blockade there remains “in full force and effect,” and asserted […]
The 60-day deadline for an Iran peace deal is expiring. Here’s where things stand
The deal that U.S. President Donald Trump signed at Versailles in June set an ambitious 60-day deadline for ending the war with Iran and reaching an accord on its nuclear program. The deadline was Monday, and the two sides are further apart than they were then. Talks, such as they are, have focused on reopening […]
2 UAE tankers attacked while transiting Strait of Hormuz, and other news from the Middle East
The United Arab Emirates is blaming Iran for firing drones at two tankers operated by a state-owned oil company as they sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, saying Friday that the attacks were acts of piracy. The attacks caused no casualties but underlined the dangers faced by vessels seeking to move cargo through the critical […]
Iran and the US say a Strait of Hormuz deal is close, but one or both would have to back down
CAIRO | Iran said Wednesday it is in the “final stage” of drafting an agreement with Oman over the Strait of Hormuz, and U.S. President Donald Trump has said a deal could be announced this week. That could potentially reopen the critical waterway, ease pressure on the world economy and help bring an end to […]