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Middle East
Trump rejects Iran's ceasefire ahead of Hormuz deadline
United States President Donald Trump has pushed back against the latest ceasefire proposal from Iran, just one day before the deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Trump called the 45-day ceasefire proposal “not good enough”, while Iran says the war will continue as long as is deemed necessary. "We can continue the war as long as the political authorities see fit," said army spokesmanTrump rejects Iran ceasefire proposal as UN weighs shipping protection and tensions rise ahead of key deadline. Mohammad Akraminia to the ISNA news agency. “The enemy must definitely regret it because, after this war, we need to reach a point of security and not witness another war.” Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council are working on a resolution for the protection of shipping through Hormuz, with a vote expected Tuesday, local time, and at least nine votes in favour required, as well as no vetoes from the five permanent members of the Council. However, the proposed resolution has been significantly reduced after China, one of the veto power nations, opposed the authorisation of force for protection.
Middle East
Iran denies Trump's claims that it asked for a ceasefire
A senior Iranian official has denied United States President Donald Trump’s claims that Iran has asked for a ceasefire. Iran’s foreign ministry said Trump’s claims of a ceasefire on Truth Social are “false and baseless”. “Iran’s New Regime President, much less Radicalized and far more intelligent than his predecessors, has just asked the United States of America for a CEASEFIRE!” he said. This comes just hours before Trump addresses the country to provide what the White House said will be “an important update”. The U.S. has faced mounting pressure to end the war amid soaring global energy prices and widespread opposition to the conflict from the American public. The month-long war has resulted in the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, where around 20% of the world’s oil travels through, resulting in oil prices soaring to over US$100 per barrel. Trump said the strait was a key sticking point in the war and threatened to continue “blasting Iran into oblivion” until it is reopened, raising questions about whether the war will end soon, as Trump claimed. This comes as UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would meet with 35 countries to explore ways to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. wasn’t included in the
Middle East
Trump threatens Iran oil sites amid Hormuz closure
Donald Trump has warned that the United States could target Iran’s critical energy infrastructure if a deal is not reached to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, escalating tensions as the conflict enters its fifth week. Trump said Washington would act decisively if the strategically vital waterway is not reopened “immediately” and negotiations fail to deliver a resolution “shortly”. “The United States of America is in serious discussions with A NEW, AND MORE REASONABLE, REGIME to end our Military Operations in Iran,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “Great progress has been made but, if for any reason a deal is not shortly reached, which it probably will be, and if the Hormuz Strait is not immediately ‘Open for Business,’ we will conclude our lovely ‘stay’ in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinization plants!), which we have purposefully not yet ‘touched’.” The remarks come as the Trump administration weighs further military options, including the potential deployment of ground forces to seize Kharg Island, a critical hub that underpins Iran’s oil export capacity. Kharg Island is estimated to handle around 90% of
Middle East
RBC's Croft: Iran conflict has no single off-switch
Analysts have been left scratching their heads trying to pick the market lately, with Brent crude rising more than 55% in March - the steepest monthly gain on record - and the three temporary measures propping up global supply are set to lapse within days of each other in mid-April. Brent was trading above US$115/bbl on Monday morning, up ~2% from Friday's settle of US$112.57 and on track for the largest single-month surge in the benchmark's history, according to CNBC. That surpasses the 46% spike recorded during the Gulf War in September 1990, while WTI briefly crossed US$103 intraday for the first time above the US$100 mark. The futures price is one thing, though - what matters now is the clock. The IEA's 400-million-barrel strategic reserve release, the U.S. Treasury's sanctions reprieve on Russian oil and temporary exemptions for Iranian barrels are the three stopgaps keeping this disruption manageable. BCA Research's Marko Papic estimates they all run dry at roughly the same time in mid-April, a convergence he's calling an "oil cliff". Once those lapse, there's no substitute for crude flowing through the Strait of Hormuz - the 21-mile-wide chokepoint between Iran and Oman that carries roughly 20% of the worl
Middle East
Trump: US could take Iran's oil, seize Kharg Island
United States President Donald Trump has said the U.S. could seize Iran’s oil, as it continues to send troops to the region. Trump’s “preference would be to take the oil”, he told the Financial Times. The U.S. Department of War is currently preparing for weeks of ground operations in Iran, the Washington Post reported. “To be honest with you, my favourite thing is to take the oil in Iran but some stupid people back in the U.S. say: ‘why are you doing that?’ But they’re stupid people,” said Trump. Trump also said that the U.S. could not rule out seizing Iran’s Kharg Island, which handles the export of around 90% of Iranian oil products. “Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don’t. We have a lot of options,” he said, claiming that “we could take it very easily”. The Pentagon is planning to send at least another 10,000 ground troops to the region, per Axios, which would join 5,000 Marines and 2,000 paratroopers who have already been sent to the Middle East. The U.S.’ current plans for ground operations reportedly include raids by special operations forces and infantry troops. Trump also claimed that indirect ceasefire talks mediated by Pakistan are progressing, though Iran has repeatedly denied that any talks hav

Middle East
Yemen's Houthis attack Israel, threaten to close Red Sea
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis have launched missile strikes against Israel, their first intervention in the United States and Israel’s war on Iran. The Israeli military said that its aerial defence system had intercepted the threat. These strikes were in support of Iran’s government and its ally Hezbollah, according to the Houthis. The strike was launched “in view of the continued military escalation, the targeting of infrastructure, and the perpetration of crimes and massacres against our brothers in Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, and Palestine,” wrote Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree. While the Houthis and Israel did not confirm the strike’s exact targets, Saree said the missiles were launched at “sensitive Israeli military sites in southern occupied Palestine”. The Houthis had previously fired missiles at Israel during the Israeli invasion of Gaza that began in October 2023. This marked their first intervention in the Iran war, however. After these strikes, the Houthis said they would not rule out blockading the Red Sea through the Bab al-Mandeb strait to increase pressure on the U.S. and Israel. The Bab al-Mandeb connects the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean, and almost 15% of global trade transits through the waterway. The Ho
Middle East
Iran war intensifies as Pakistan offers to host talks
Pakistan has signalled its willingness to host peace talks between the United States and Iran, as the Middle East conflict intensifies and competing military and diplomatic strategies raise uncertainty over a potential resolution. Speaking following discussions with regional foreign ministers, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said Islamabad was preparing to facilitate “meaningful talks” aimed at achieving a comprehensive and lasting settlement. “Pakistan will be honoured to host and facilitate meaningful talks between the two sides in coming days, for a comprehensive and lasting settlement of the ongoing conflict,” Dar said, although it remains unclear whether Washington or Tehran have agreed to participate. The proposal comes amid mixed signals from both sides. While diplomatic channels appear to remain open, Iran has accused the United States of simultaneously preparing for a potential ground offensive. Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said Tehran had received messages suggesting negotiations, even as Washington allegedly considers deploying troops. “As long as the Americans seek Iran’s surrender, our response is that we will never accept humiliation,” Qalibaf said in a message to the nation.
Middle East
Gulf states condemn Iran energy strikes
Gulf nations condemned Iran-linked strikes on their energy facilities in a joint statement, as Iran and the paramilitaries it supports continue to attack other nations in the region. These countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, singled out armed factions in Iraq that are loyal to Iran’s government, saying they had violated international law. “The United Arab Emirates, the State of Kuwait, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the State of Qatar, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan renew their condemnation in the strongest terms of the blatant Iranian attacks, which constitute a flagrant violation of their sovereignty, territorial integrity, international law, international humanitarian law, and the Charter of the United Nations, whether carried out directly or through their proxies and armed factions they support in the region,” the countries wrote. “We stress, in particular, the attacks carried out by armed factions loyal to Iran from the Republic of Iraq against a number of countries in the region, as well as their facilities and infrastructure.” In their statement, these countries called on the Iraqi government to work to halt the attacks immediately, and affirmed thei
Middle East
Trump extends Iran strike pause to 6 April
United States President Donald Trump on Thursday said he would extend a temporary halt on attacks targeting Iran’s energy infrastructure by 10 days, pushing the deadline to 6 April following a request from Tehran. The decision delays further escalation in the conflict as Washington signals its preference for a negotiated resolution, while disruptions to global oil flows persist due to the near closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Trump announced the extension in a post on Truth Social, stating: “As per Iranian Government request, please let this statement serve to represent that I am pausing the period of Energy Plant destruction.” “Talks are ongoing and, despite erroneous statements to the contrary by the Fake News Media, and others, they are going very well." The initial five-day pause, which covered U.S. strikes on Iran’s power plants and energy facilities, had been set to expire on Friday after being introduced earlier in the week. The ongoing conflict has significantly disrupted energy markets, with Iran effectively restricting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global crude flows. The supply constraints have driven a sharp rise in oil prices, adding to volatility across financial marke