Iran, Defense, Markets & Diplomacy Coverage
718 articles · page 19 of 24
Vahidi, the Interpol-Wanted IRGC Chief, Is Iran's Real Veto Player
Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi, sanctioned by the U.S. and on Interpol's Red Notice for the 1994 AMIA bombing, is now the hardliner driving Tehran's maximalist demands on any deal with Washington.
Trump Vows to Seize or Destroy Iran's Uranium Stockpile
Trump says the US will take or destroy Iran's ~440 kg of highly enriched uranium and rejects a Hormuz toll, hardening Washington's position before the next Rome round.
Pakistan's Munir lands in Tehran as Qatar runs a parallel track
Pakistan army chief Asim Munir arrived in Tehran Friday for high-level talks alongside a Qatari delegation, doubling the mediation channels into Iran as Rubio cites 'slight progress.'
Qatar Takes the Chair as Tehran's Signals Split Ahead of Rome
A Qatari delegation arrived in Tehran on Friday as Iran simultaneously narrowed gaps with Washington and ruled out moving its 60% uranium stockpile abroad.
France, UK Ready Competing UN Text on Hormuz as US Draft Stalls
Paris confirmed Friday it has drafted a UN Security Council resolution with London to establish an 'international mission' on Strait of Hormuz freedom of navigation.
Iran's New Hormuz Map Claims Jurisdiction Over UAE, Oman Waters
Tehran published a new official Strait of Hormuz map on May 22 extending claimed jurisdiction into UAE and Omani waters, converting the toll fight into a direct sovereignty challenge to two U.S. partners.
House GOP Pulls Iran War Powers Vote a Second Day as Defections Threaten Trump's Authority
Johnson held the Iran war powers resolution off the floor a second straight day as a Massie-Davidson-Fitzpatrick-Barrett bloc plus a Golden flip threatened to force U.S. forces out.
Trump, Rubio Reject Iran-Oman Hormuz Toll Framework
Iran and Oman are negotiating a permanent Strait of Hormuz toll system. Trump and Rubio publicly rejected the framework Friday as Tehran moves to formalize chokepoint control.
Rubio Pitches NATO 'Maritime Freedom Construct' on Hormuz
Secretary of State Marco Rubio used the NATO foreign ministers meeting in Sweden to push a US-led coalition on the Strait of Hormuz, rebuke Spain over basing, and claim 'slight progress' on Iran.
Treasury hits 19 vessels, Amin Exchange in Iran sanctions tranche
Treasury and State on May 22 designated 19 ships, money-changer Amin Exchange and a UAE-Turkey-Hong Kong front network — the financial leg of the Economic Fury campaign.
EU Parliament Votes 516-14 to Demand Broader Iran Sanctions
Strasbourg lawmakers passed a sweeping non-binding resolution Thursday urging EU Council action on the IRGC, Iran's judiciary and prison officials, raising the political floor for any nuclear deal.
EU now prices the Iran war into euro-area growth and inflation
Brussels cut 2026 eurozone growth to 0.9% and lifted inflation to 3.0%, formally treating the Iran war as a structural energy shock and raising ECB-hike pressure.
Hormuz Insurance Won't Snap Back Even If a Deal Lands
Underwriters are holding war-risk premiums at $3M-$8M per tanker even as Brent falls on deal optimism, anticipating six months of mine clearance and a re-set baseline that won't reverse quickly.
House GOP yanks Iran war powers vote as Democrats close in
Republican leaders pulled the Iran war powers resolution from the House floor Thursday after a procedural vote signaled defeat, punting the measure to June.
Netanyahu pushes Trump to resume strikes as Qatar-Pakistan memo lands in Tehran
A revised Qatar-Pakistan peace memo proposing a 30-day talks window has split the US-Israel axis, with Netanyahu pressing Trump to resume strikes as Tehran reviews the text.
US intel: Iran drone lines running again six weeks into ceasefire
Four sources tell CNN that US intelligence assesses Iran has restarted drone production and retained most coastal cruise missiles during the ceasefire window.
Khamenei Orders Iran's 60% Uranium to Stay in Country
Iran's supreme leader directs that roughly 200 kg of near-weapons-grade uranium remain inside Iran, gutting a core US demand in the Qatar-Pakistan talks framework.
Goldman Alarm Meets an $81 Forward Floor as Hormuz Cycle Hardens
Goldman warns global oil stocks are approaching an eight-year low while the options strip holds Brent above $81 into mid-2027. Bank research and market pricing have converged.
Tehran Reviews U.S. Positions as Trump Says Talks in 'Final Stages'
Washington and Tehran offered contradictory overnight signals as Trump said negotiations were nearing an end while Iran insisted the U.S. had failed at Hormuz and that diplomacy was not surrender.
Report: 137 Countries Back Draft UN Resolution on Strait of Hormuz
Middle East Eye reports a draft UN resolution on the Strait of Hormuz has the backing of 137 countries, landing the same day Iran declared a controlled maritime zone over the chokepoint.
StanChart: Record SPR Draws Are Now Thinning the U.S. Oil Buffer
Standard Chartered finds the IEA-coordinated 400-million-barrel reserve pledge is now tightening America's emergency oil cushion as the Hormuz blockade enters month two.
Iran Declares Hormuz Authorisation Zone Hours After Trump Cites 'Final Stages'
Tehran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority published map coordinates for a controlled maritime zone requiring transit authorisation, hours after the US president said talks were in final stages.
Marines Board Iranian-Flagged Tanker in Gulf of Oman
US Marines boarded an Iranian-flagged commercial oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman, searched it, and ordered the crew to alter course — the 91st vessel redirected under the US blockade on Iranian ports, per CENTCOM.
GOP fissures widen on Iran war as Massie ouster steels Trump
House and Senate war-powers votes this week could deliver Trump a public rebuke from his own party as the Iran war hits day 82 — even as the Massie defeat shows the cost of dissent.
Oil Eases on Trump's 'Quick End' Pledge as Hormuz Risk Stays Live
Crude softened after Trump reaffirmed he would end the Iran war 'very quickly,' but supertanker traffic, IRGC transit counts and a 'dramatic' Netanyahu call show the physical risk hasn't moved.
Putin and Xi Meet in Beijing as Xi Calls Mideast at 'Critical Juncture'
Putin and Xi met in Beijing on Wednesday, with Xi framing the Middle East as at a critical juncture between war and peace as Power of Siberia 2 talks advanced and Chinese tankers exited Hormuz.
IAEA's Grossi Tells UNSC Barakah Strike Is 'Grave Concern'
IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi briefed the UN Security Council on Tuesday on the May 17 drone strike at the UAE's Barakah nuclear plant, calling the situation one of grave concern.
Senate Votes 51-47 to Curb Trump's Iran War Powers
A bipartisan Senate vote advanced Senator Kaine's War Powers Resolution requiring congressional approval for further military action against Iran, marking the first major institutional pushback of the strike cycle.
Trump Says He Was an Hour From Iran Strike; Vance Floats Reset
Trump said he was an hour from resuming Iran strikes before pausing the offensive, as VP Vance signaled a US "reset" with Tehran and oil prices fell on the pause.
US Says 88 Commercial Vessels Diverted From Strait of Hormuz
US officials say 88 commercial vessels have been redirected away from the Strait of Hormuz amid the US-Iran cycle, as crude reroutes around Africa and freight rates climb.