Tag - iran

 
 

IRAN

Cargo ships in the Persian Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, near the border with Oman’s Musandam governance, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in United Arab Emirates, on March 11
BUSINESS / Economy
May 18, 2026
Iran war saddles global companies with $25 billion bill — and counting
Businesses are grappling with soaring energy prices, fractured supply chains and trade routes severed by Iran’s chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, attend the Victory Day military parade in Moscow on May 9, the day Russia celebrates the anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in WWII.
COMMENTARY / World
May 18, 2026
How Moscow lost friends and global influence
With even Russia’s closest friends hedging their bets, the Kremlin’s ability to project power and shape world affairs has been severely weakened.
A ship remains anchored in the Strait of Hormuz near Larak Island, Iran, on Saturday.
WORLD / Politics
May 18, 2026
U.S. and Iran far from Hormuz deal as Trump says clock is ticking
Iranian threats on shipping in the Persian Gulf have brought the region’s energy exports to a near-standstill, giving Tehran significant leverage in talks with the U.S.
The United Arab Emirates' Barakah Nuclear Power Plant near Abu Dhabi
WORLD
May 17, 2026
Drone strike starts fire outside UAE nuclear plant
The statement did not say from where the drone was launched, but the UAE has recently accused Iran of being behind attacks on its energy and economic infrastructure.
A worker cuts the grass at the Kino Sports Complex in Tuscon, Arizona, where Iran's national soccer team will train during the 2026 World Cup.
SOCCER
May 17, 2026
Tucson prepares to welcome Iran for World Cup amid backdrop of war
FIFA has insisted the team will take part in the tournament as planned, so Tucson has pressed ahead with its preparations.
Leaders and other officials of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations pose for a group photo during the opening ceremony of the 48th ASEAN summit in Cebu, Philippines, on May 8.
COMMENTARY / World
May 17, 2026
Why ASEAN chose silence amid the growing Gulf crisis
In Cebu, much of the summit’s energy went into drafting a statement broad enough to avoid offending any member state.
Amy Van Duyn at the liquor store where she works in Wiggins, Colorado, on May 11
WORLD / Politics
May 17, 2026
Trump says Iran war is worth the economic pain. These rural voters agree.
In two dozen recent interviews along Colorado’s Highway 52, Trump voters echoed the president’s logic.
U.S. President Donald Trump attends a dinner event in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington on May 11.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
May 16, 2026
Trump’s geopolitical brinkmanship has hit a wall with Iran
The continuing impasse with Iran comes as Trump faces domestic pressure over high U.S. gasoline prices and his own low approval ratings.
Smoke rises behind buildings following an Israeli airstrike in the southern city of Tyre, in Lebanon, on Friday.
WORLD
May 16, 2026
Israel and Lebanon say extending ceasefire despite new strikes
Envoys from Israel and Lebanon’s government met for two days in Washington and said they would extend the ceasefire that was set to expire Sunday.
U.S. President Donald Trump boards Air Force One before his departure from Beijing Capital Airport on Friday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 15, 2026
Trump claims ‘fantastic trade deals’ as summit with China’s Xi wraps up
The U.S. leader touted what he portrayed as economic wins at a summit that was overshadowed by Xi’s warning of the possibility of conflict over Taiwan.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks to reporters about her phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo.
JAPAN / Politics
May 15, 2026
Trump gives Takaichi ‘detailed explanation’ of talks with China’s Xi
Trump called his Japanese counterpart from aboard Air Force One on Friday, with Taiwan and other matters facing the Indo-Pacific region believed to have been discussed.
U.S. President Donald Trump participates in a friendship walk through Zhongnanhai, the tightly guarded headquarters of China’s ruling Communist Party, in Beijing on Friday with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
May 15, 2026
Strategic stalemate: Xi and Trump summit to test limits of managed competition
By the time U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to China ended, it was clear that the relationship had moved into one where Beijing operates from a position of assumed parity.
Japan’s corporate goods prices in April posted their biggest rise in 12 years, driven by higher oil and naphtha prices, the Bank of Japan said.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 15, 2026
Japanese producer prices jump by the most since 2014, backing case for rate hike
The measure of input prices for Japanese firms rose 2.3% in April from a month earlier, a full point above the highest estimate in a survey of economists.
U.S. President Donald Trump inspects a guard of honor during a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Thursday.
WORLD
May 15, 2026
Trump says he is losing patience with Iran after talks with China’s Xi
Talks aimed at ending the conflict have stalled, with Iran refusing to end its nuclear program or relinquish its stockpile of enriched uranium.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping visit the Zhongnanhai leadership compound in Beijing on Friday.
EDITORIALS
May 15, 2026
A sigh of relief as Trump visits Xi
Trump will declare the meeting a win for his diplomacy and credit his personal relationship with Xi. The Chinese leader will be less effusive.
A Volkswagen e-Golf charges at a kiosk outside an elementary school in Escondido, California. A group of corporate bosses and senior bankers has issued a report underlining how clean energy systems are structurally immune to the type of shock caused by the current Middle East crisis.
ENVIRONMENT / Energy
May 15, 2026
Clean energy seen as ‘structurally immune’ to Hormuz-style shock
The war in Iran may ultimately strengthen the case for renewables.
The Strait of Hormuz has remained largely blocked since the Iran war began in late February and has been subject to an international diplomatic arm wrestle ever since.
BUSINESS
May 15, 2026
Hormuz oil flows creep higher as more supertankers exit
Four ships each hauling 2 million barrels of mostly-Iraqi crude have exited since May 10 — a rate close to 2 million barrels a day — according to vessel tracking data.
A man fuels up his vehicle at a gas station during a gas giveaway event in Chicago last month. More than 6 in 10 Americans say their household's finances have taken a hit from higher gas prices, according to a poll taken in May.
WORLD / Politics
May 15, 2026
White House scrambles for gas-price relief as Iran war drags on
Gasoline prices are averaging more than $4.50 a gallon nationwide, and historically, $4 per gallon has been a level that triggers public backlash and economic anxiety.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi enters the Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
May 15, 2026
Takaichi to meet with South Korean President Lee on Tuesday
Takaichi and Lee are slated to meet at the president’s hometown of Andong in North Gyeongsang Province.
U.S. President Donald Trump takes part in a welcome ceremony with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Thursday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 14, 2026
Xi warns Trump that Taiwan missteps could lead to U.S.-China conflict
The meeting also saw the Chinese leader emphasize a “new positioning” of ties with, highlighting Beijing’s growing confidence in its ability to grapple with the U.S.

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival