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Iran

The latest news, analysis and opinion on Iran. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

Capital

Tehran

Head of State

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei

Head of Government

President Masoud Pezeshkian

US President Donald Trump speaks during a Friends of Ireland luncheon for Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin in the US Capitol on St. Patrick’s Day. Photo: AP

US-China relations

Trump confirms delay of Beijing meeting with Xi amid Iran conflict

Visit with Chinese leader pushed back by up to six weeks as Trump stays in Washington during escalating US-Israeli war with Iran.

1 hour agovideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Fire at Baghdad’s US embassy as security official reports drone, rocket strikes

1 hour ago

Malaysia

Why US warships’ pit stop in Malaysia is raising eyebrows

5 hours agovideocam

Singapore

Singapore’s Lawrence Wong seeks stronger ties with Japan amid global tensions

Wong and Takaichi are expected to discuss economic stability and AI, and tread cautiously amid superpower rivalries, analysts say.

5 hours ago

Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong catches up with Singaporeans in Japan as he kicks off his visit to Tokyo on Tuesday. Photo: Facebook / Lawrence Wong

United States

US counterterrorism chief quits, says Israel tricked Trump into joining Iran war

‘Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel,’ said Joseph Kent.

4 hours agovideocam

2026 Trump-Xi summit

Why Trump’s China trip delay could open the door for ‘more substantive’ results

Analysts say postponement of US president’s trip to Beijing is a strategic opportunity and unlikely to derail momentum in stabilising ties.

5 hours ago

Donald Trump

Bill, George, Barack or Joe: which ex-president gave Trump backing for Iran war?

Trump said his presidential pal told him, ‘I wish I did it.’ But all four living ex-presidents said they had not been in touch.

6 hours ago

US President Donald Trump signs an executive order at the White House on Monday. Photo: EPA

Middle East

Video | Israeli says air strikes killed Iran’s security chief

Israel says air strikes on Tehran killed the country’s top security chief Ali Larijani.

6 hours ago

Thailand

Even the dead in Thailand are affected by Iran war fuel shortages

Many crematorium furnaces use diesel, now in short supply due to disruptions from conflicts in the Middle East.

17 Mar 2026 - 9:33PM

US-China relations

With Trump’s China trip in limbo, further trade talks loom: analysts

As the US president cites the Iran war for his delay and Paris talks see only minor progress, experts said more negotiations were likely.

17 Mar 2026 - 9:00PMvideocam

US President Donald Trump speaks after signing an executive order regarding a task force on fraud in the Oval Office of the White House on Monday. Photo: AP

Drones

China leads world in anti-drone patents with US far behind, law firm finds

Patent filings for anti-drone technology surged 27 per cent last year amid rising global security concerns, says Mathys & Squire.

17 Mar 2026 - 9:00PM

A police officer presents an anti-drone gun during the Railway Police Open Day at Hankou Railway Station in Wuhan, Hubei province. Photo: Getty Images

War and conflict

Opinion | Trump’s Iran gamble won’t advance his prospects at home or with China

With no clear goal or timetable for ending the war, the US president is running out of options.

17 Mar 2026 - 8:30PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Asia ramps up coal power generation to avoid soaring LNG costs amid Iran war

LNG prices have doubled to three-year highs as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has all but stopped and Qatar halts shipments.

17 Mar 2026 - 6:48PM

Indonesia

Half of Indonesia is travelling for Eid as US$100 oil threatens state finances

A US$100 oil shock is ballooning fuel subsidies towards a deficit cap breach.

17 Mar 2026 - 6:30PM

People carry their belongings as they arrive for a free bus trip to their hometowns organised by the Jakarta provincial government in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Tuesday. Photo: AP

US, Israel war on Iran

Iran’s Ali Larijani, Basij paramilitary head ‘eliminated’ in Tehran strikes: Israel

The killings strip away top leaders from the Iranian theocracy after the February 28 strike that killed supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

1 hour agovideocam

Iranian Secretary of Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani speaks during a press conference on August 13, 2025. Photo: AP

US, Israel war on Iran

Military escort for tankers in Strait of Hormuz not long-term fix: IMO head

The UN organisation head said an international naval operation, as suggested by Trump, would not be sustainable.

17 Mar 2026 - 5:17PMvideocam

Israel

Video | Iranian families grieve for lost children

Israel says it has detailed plans for at least three more weeks of war.

17 Mar 2026 - 5:16PM

US, Israel war on Iran

US military’s Iran war pivot forces security rethink in Asia-Pacific

As assets are diverted to the Gulf, the Iran war’s high ‘burn rate’ risks creating a ‘thin spot’ in the US security umbrella.

17 Mar 2026 - 5:01PM

Smoke and flames rise from the site of airstrikes on an oil depot in Iran’s capital, Tehran, on March 7. Photo: Sasan/Middle East Images/AFP/Getty Images/TNS

2026 Trump-Xi summit

Trump-Xi summit delay may suit China amid Iran war

Postponing Trump’s visit to Beijing could help avoid potential embarrassments linked to the Iran war and give more time to reach agreements.

17 Mar 2026 - 5:40PM

SCMP Highlights

Japanese governor turns heads, Nepal’s new PM is a rapper: 7 Asia highlights

From the unlikely background of Nepal’s new leader to Thai police’s deadly blind spot, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

17 Mar 2026 - 1:22PM

Xi Jinping

Video | Trump says China visit may be delayed

US president’s trip, expected to start late March, may be postponed as he weighs staying in Washington amid war priorities.

17 Mar 2026 - 9:38AM

(COMBO) This combination of pictures created on March 16, 2026 shows China’s President Xi Jinping attening a meeting with a group of foreign executives at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 28, 2025 and US President Donald Trump speaking after signing an executive order on fraud in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, on March 16, 2026. President Trump said March 16, 2026 that he had asked China to delay his summit with Xi Jinping at the start of April by around a month while he deals with the war in Iran. “We’re speaking to China,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “Because of the war I want to be here, I have to be here, I feel. And so we’ve requested that we delay it a month or so.” (Photo by ADEK BERRY and ANNABELLE GORDON / AFP)

South Korea

‘Catch-22 situation’: South Korea walks tightrope over Trump’s Hormuz call

Seoul is expected to seek national consensus and wait for the outcome of the Takaichi-Trump summit before deciding, observers say.

17 Mar 2026 - 7:07PMvideocam

Activists hold placards during a rally against the US demand for South Korea to deploy troops to the Strait of Hormuz, outside the US embassy in Seoul on Monday. Photo: Reuters

Middle East

Drone and rocket attacks target US embassy as Iraq is pulled into war

Iraq’s Green Zone in Baghdad comes under attack as war rages on multiple fronts in the Middle East.

17 Mar 2026 - 6:39PMvideocam

Stocks

South Korea and Japan bear brunt of global stock sell-offs amid oil shock

South Korea and Japan lead global market declines – with losses steeper than in Europe – as oil shock underscores their reliance on imports.

17 Mar 2026 - 7:30AM

Hong Kong economy

Opinion | Iran war shows urgency of Hong Kong’s green shipping transition

As an international maritime hub, the city must speed up green fuel bunkering and strengthen its marine war-risk insurance business.

17 Mar 2026 - 5:30AMvideocam

Oil storage tanks and oil tankers unloading at Tsing Yi depot, Hong Kong, on March 10. Photo: Sam Tsang

US-China relations

China ‘in communication’ with US after Trump seeks to delay trip by a month

Neither US president nor China’s foreign ministry can confirm timing of trip after Trump says he wants a delay ‘because of the war’.

6 hours agovideocam

Talks between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing had been scheduled for March 31 to April 2. Photo: AFP

2026 Trump-Xi summit

China under pressure as Trump ties high-stakes summit to Strait of Hormuz crisis

Beijing is being forced to weigh its reliance on stable energy routes against its tradition of non-interference, analysts say.

16 Mar 2026 - 11:00PMvideocam

US-China relations

Beijing on Iran war, Trump trade plan, new AI arena: 7 US-China relations reads

From a new US maritime strategy to the Iran crisis, here are highlights from SCMP’s overseas correspondents in the first half of March 2026.

16 Mar 2026 - 10:30PM

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Iran

Trump confirms delay of Beijing meeting with Xi amid Iran conflict

Visit with Chinese leader pushed back by up to six weeks as Trump stays in Washington during escalating US-Israeli war with Iran.

Fire at Baghdad’s US embassy as security official reports drone, rocket strikes

Why US warships’ pit stop in Malaysia is raising eyebrows

Singapore’s Lawrence Wong seeks stronger ties with Japan amid global tensions

Wong and Takaichi are expected to discuss economic stability and AI, and tread cautiously amid superpower rivalries, analysts say.

US counterterrorism chief quits, says Israel tricked Trump into joining Iran war

‘Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel,’ said Joseph Kent.

Why Trump’s China trip delay could open the door for ‘more substantive’ results

Analysts say postponement of US president’s trip to Beijing is a strategic opportunity and unlikely to derail momentum in stabilising ties.

Bill, George, Barack or Joe: which ex-president gave Trump backing for Iran war?

Trump said his presidential pal told him, ‘I wish I did it.’ But all four living ex-presidents said they had not been in touch.

.css-1t72pn8{color:#C79A00;}Video | Israeli says air strikes killed Iran’s security chief

Israel says air strikes on Tehran killed the country’s top security chief Ali Larijani.

Even the dead in Thailand are affected by Iran war fuel shortages

Many crematorium furnaces use diesel, now in short supply due to disruptions from conflicts in the Middle East.

With Trump’s China trip in limbo, further trade talks loom: analysts

As the US president cites the Iran war for his delay and Paris talks see only minor progress, experts said more negotiations were likely.

China leads world in anti-drone patents with US far behind, law firm finds

Patent filings for anti-drone technology surged 27 per cent last year amid rising global security concerns, says Mathys & Squire.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | Trump’s Iran gamble won’t advance his prospects at home or with China

With no clear goal or timetable for ending the war, the US president is running out of options.

Asia ramps up coal power generation to avoid soaring LNG costs amid Iran war

LNG prices have doubled to three-year highs as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has all but stopped and Qatar halts shipments.

Half of Indonesia is travelling for Eid as US$100 oil threatens state finances

A US$100 oil shock is ballooning fuel subsidies towards a deficit cap breach.

Iran’s Ali Larijani, Basij paramilitary head ‘eliminated’ in Tehran strikes: Israel

The killings strip away top leaders from the Iranian theocracy after the February 28 strike that killed supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

Military escort for tankers in Strait of Hormuz not long-term fix: IMO head

The UN organisation head said an international naval operation, as suggested by Trump, would not be sustainable.

Video | Iranian families grieve for lost children

Israel says it has detailed plans for at least three more weeks of war.

US military’s Iran war pivot forces security rethink in Asia-Pacific

As assets are diverted to the Gulf, the Iran war’s high ‘burn rate’ risks creating a ‘thin spot’ in the US security umbrella.

Trump-Xi summit delay may suit China amid Iran war

Postponing Trump’s visit to Beijing could help avoid potential embarrassments linked to the Iran war and give more time to reach agreements.

Japanese governor turns heads, Nepal’s new PM is a rapper: 7 Asia highlights

From the unlikely background of Nepal’s new leader to Thai police’s deadly blind spot, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

Video | Trump says China visit may be delayed

US president’s trip, expected to start late March, may be postponed as he weighs staying in Washington amid war priorities.

‘Catch-22 situation’: South Korea walks tightrope over Trump’s Hormuz call

Seoul is expected to seek national consensus and wait for the outcome of the Takaichi-Trump summit before deciding, observers say.

Drone and rocket attacks target US embassy as Iraq is pulled into war

Iraq’s Green Zone in Baghdad comes under attack as war rages on multiple fronts in the Middle East.

South Korea and Japan bear brunt of global stock sell-offs amid oil shock

South Korea and Japan lead global market declines – with losses steeper than in Europe – as oil shock underscores their reliance on imports.

Opinion | Iran war shows urgency of Hong Kong’s green shipping transition

As an international maritime hub, the city must speed up green fuel bunkering and strengthen its marine war-risk insurance business.

China ‘in communication’ with US after Trump seeks to delay trip by a month

Neither US president nor China’s foreign ministry can confirm timing of trip after Trump says he wants a delay ‘because of the war’.

China under pressure as Trump ties high-stakes summit to Strait of Hormuz crisis

Beijing is being forced to weigh its reliance on stable energy routes against its tradition of non-interference, analysts say.

Beijing on Iran war, Trump trade plan, new AI arena: 7 US-China relations reads

From a new US maritime strategy to the Iran crisis, here are highlights from SCMP’s overseas correspondents in the first half of March 2026.

Video | Israeli says air strikes killed Iran’s security chief

Opinion | Trump’s Iran gamble won’t advance his prospects at home or with China