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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

Smoke rises after an explosion in Iran. Photo: Social media video screen grab via Reuters

US, Israel war on Iran

US-Iran ceasefire collapse revives risks of global inflation

Renewed conflict in the Middle East may lead to new oil shortages, a global economic slowdown and risks to China’s vital export industries.

9 Jul 2026 - 5:16PM

Japan

Trump blames ‘Islamic Republic of Japan’ for missile strikes on US warship

9 Jul 2026 - 11:51AM

China inflation

China’s factory gate prices rise in June amid brief Iran war respite

9 Jul 2026 - 5:28PM

United States

Nato summit delivers unity and billions in defence deals, Rutte says

Secretary general says allies are strengthening the alliance after agreeing to higher spending, amid continued pressure from Trump.

9 Jul 2026 - 7:09AM

US President Donald Trump (left) and Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte attend the Nato summit in Ankara, Turkey, where allies highlighted new defence commitments and higher military spending targets. Photo: AFP

US, Israel war on Iran

US strikes Iran again, Tehran fires back at neighbouring Gulf states

Fresh wave of tit-for-tat attacks follows Donald Trump’s declaration that an interim agreement to end the war is ‘over’.

6 hours agovideocam

Brics

Opinion | What the Iran war has revealed about Brics+

Those arguing that the conflict has exposed the grouping as a failure misunderstand its role.

9 Jul 2026 - 5:30AMvideocam

United States

Trump surprises Nato allies with arms deals and praise as summit ends positively

After promises of advanced air defence systems to Europe and Ukraine, US president says ‘unification’ was dominant theme of key meeting.

9 Jul 2026 - 5:27AMvideocam

Donald Trump

Trump switches back to old Air Force One, raising questions about Qatari jet

Asked if an assassination threat prompted the move, the US president did not answer directly but said: ‘I’m No 1 on the kill list for Iran’.

9 Jul 2026 - 11:41AM

US-ally trade wars

Spain plays down Trump’s trade embargo threat, saying there is ‘no tension’

US president threatened to cut off trade with Spain over its defence policy, but Madrid says relations are ‘calm’ and ‘positive’.

9 Jul 2026 - 1:39AM

International Monetary Fund (IMF)

IMF sees world economy growing just 3% this year amid Iran war

The outlook is weighed down by the Iran war but helped by AI and other technologies.

9 Jul 2026 - 2:44AMvideocam

Delegates walk to the entrance of the International Monetary Fund headquarters during the World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings in Washington in April. The IMF now expects the global economy to expand by a sluggish 3 per cent in 2026, down from 3.5 per cent last year. Photo: AP

Nato

Nato, Indo-Pacific 4 vow defence, tech boost as China-Russia ties spark alarm

Nato chief Mark Rutte meets top officials from Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea on sidelines of Ankara summit.

8 Jul 2026 - 6:10PM

Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte (third left) with representatives from the Indo-Pacific Four, (from left) New Zealand Defence Minister Chris Penk, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, and Australia’s defence industry minister, Pat Conroy, in Turkish capital Ankara on Tuesday. Photo: Kyodo

The Philippines

Powering up: why Philippines’ rooftop solar boom is here to stay

Households and businesses are turning to solar to hedge against high power prices, unreliable supply and exposure to imported fuel shocks.

8 Jul 2026 - 12:30PM

Middle East

Opinion | 3 paths to shaping Middle East order after Iran war’s conclusion

While the US, China and regional players have distinct plans, their visions for a post-Iran war order overlap more than might be expected.

8 Jul 2026 - 5:30AMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

US strikes Iran, revokes oil waiver after attacks on ships in Hormuz

Iran targets Bahrain and Kuwait after the US military said it hit over 80 targets in the Islamic Republic.

8 Jul 2026 - 4:26PMvideocam

Smoke rises at an unknown location in a new wave of strikes against Iran on Tuesday. Photo: US Central Command via Reuters

United States

Trump still ‘disappointed’ with Nato, says US should control Greenland at summit

US president says he has ‘very good relationship’ with ‘loyal’ Turkey and is weighing up selling F-35 fighter jets to them.

8 Jul 2026 - 4:01AMvideocam

US President Donald Trump meets with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the start of the Nato summit in Ankara, Turkey, on Tuesday. Photo: AP

US-China relations

Nato launches defence projects to counter Russia and China

New measures focus on critical minerals, drone capabilities and missile shields as members boost the alliance’s industrial base.

8 Jul 2026 - 2:07AMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

US gave Tehran secret data on Iranian asylum seekers, lawsuit alleges

The data includes details on protesters and members of the LGBT community who applied for asylum to avoid ‘grave danger’, the lawsuit claims.

8 Jul 2026 - 5:46AMvideocam

China's military weapons

China submarine fires long-range missile ahead of Nato summit

An unprecedented missile launch by a PLA nuclear submarine will prompt Nato leaders to focus more on the Asia-Pacific region.

7 Jul 2026 - 5:00PM

Submarine-launched JL-3 intercontinental ballistic missiles at a military parade in Beijing last year. Photo: Reuters

Business of climate change

Peak oil: China’s crude demand set to fall as EV bets ease Hormuz fears

China now faces the challenge of persistent refining overcapacity as ongoing electrification slashes fuel demand, CNPC official says.

7 Jul 2026 - 9:20PM

US, Israel war on Iran

Third tanker struck in Strait of Hormuz region in 24 hours

The third ship sustained minor damage, with no one injured, and continued on its way.

7 Jul 2026 - 10:31PM

Middle East

Lebanon says school principal among 4 killed in Israeli drone strike on car

IDF claims it targeted ‘suspects’ approaching the area its forces occupy in southern Lebanon.

7 Jul 2026 - 11:01AM

First responders inspect the wreckage of a car targeted by an Israeli strike in Nabatieh, Lebanon on Monday. Photo: AFP

Middle East

France’s Macron becomes first Western head of state to visit post-Assad Syria

French president pledges support for a sovereign, peaceful Syria as new authorities seek international legitimacy and reconstruction funds.

7 Jul 2026 - 11:26AM

French President Emmanuel Macron, left, is welcomed by Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani at Damascus International Airport on Monday. Photo: AFP

US-China relations

Nato can’t be ‘naive’ about China as it ramps up military might, Rutte claims

Nato’s secretary general contacts Japan’s defence minister after Chinese nuclear submarine fires test missile into Pacific.

7 Jul 2026 - 9:44AMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Crowds of mourners gather in Tehran for Khamenei funeral procession

Iranians come out to see Ali Khamenei’s flag-draped coffin, and those of his family killed in a February 28 air strike.

6 Jul 2026 - 5:10PM

Middle East

Netanyahu says some Lebanese villages ‘asked to be annexed to Israel’

Israeli leader asserts unnamed Christian villages sought protection from ‘Hezbollah fanatics who want to kill them’.

6 Jul 2026 - 8:56AM

A building with an Israeli flag in southern Lebanon, as seen from the Israeli side of the Israel-Lebanon border. Photo: Reuters

Ukraine war

Trump to meet leaders of Ukraine and Syria at Turkey Nato summit

US president seeks to make headway in addressing two key conflicts as Ankara hosts two-day Nato gathering.

6 Jul 2026 - 11:58AM

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump at the G7 summit in France. Photo: Ukrainian Presidential Press Service via AFP

US-China relations

Why the Indo-Pacific might be on the back burner at the Nato summit

Immediate pressures over Ukraine, Iran and spending mean alliance’s concerns about China could be sidelined at Ankara gathering.

5 Jul 2026 - 10:00PMvideocam

Middle East

Opinion | How bitter Persian Gulf rivals can make peace the Asean way

Promoting de-escalation and shared prosperity in the Persian Gulf may seem arduous now. It once looked that way in Southeast Asia, too.

5 Jul 2026 - 8:30PMvideocam

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Iran

US-Iran ceasefire collapse revives risks of global inflation

Renewed conflict in the Middle East may lead to new oil shortages, a global economic slowdown and risks to China’s vital export industries.

Trump blames ‘Islamic Republic of Japan’ for missile strikes on US warship

China’s factory gate prices rise in June amid brief Iran war respite

Nato summit delivers unity and billions in defence deals, Rutte says

Secretary general says allies are strengthening the alliance after agreeing to higher spending, amid continued pressure from Trump.

US strikes Iran again, Tehran fires back at neighbouring Gulf states

Fresh wave of tit-for-tat attacks follows Donald Trump’s declaration that an interim agreement to end the war is ‘over’.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | What the Iran war has revealed about Brics+

Those arguing that the conflict has exposed the grouping as a failure misunderstand its role.

Trump surprises Nato allies with arms deals and praise as summit ends positively

After promises of advanced air defence systems to Europe and Ukraine, US president says ‘unification’ was dominant theme of key meeting.

Trump switches back to old Air Force One, raising questions about Qatari jet

Asked if an assassination threat prompted the move, the US president did not answer directly but said: ‘I’m No 1 on the kill list for Iran’.

Spain plays down Trump’s trade embargo threat, saying there is ‘no tension’

US president threatened to cut off trade with Spain over its defence policy, but Madrid says relations are ‘calm’ and ‘positive’.

IMF sees world economy growing just 3% this year amid Iran war

The outlook is weighed down by the Iran war but helped by AI and other technologies.

Nato, Indo-Pacific 4 vow defence, tech boost as China-Russia ties spark alarm

Nato chief Mark Rutte meets top officials from Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea on sidelines of Ankara summit.

Powering up: why Philippines’ rooftop solar boom is here to stay

Households and businesses are turning to solar to hedge against high power prices, unreliable supply and exposure to imported fuel shocks.

Opinion | 3 paths to shaping Middle East order after Iran war’s conclusion

While the US, China and regional players have distinct plans, their visions for a post-Iran war order overlap more than might be expected.

US strikes Iran, revokes oil waiver after attacks on ships in Hormuz

Iran targets Bahrain and Kuwait after the US military said it hit over 80 targets in the Islamic Republic.

Trump still ‘disappointed’ with Nato, says US should control Greenland at summit

US president says he has ‘very good relationship’ with ‘loyal’ Turkey and is weighing up selling F-35 fighter jets to them.

Nato launches defence projects to counter Russia and China

New measures focus on critical minerals, drone capabilities and missile shields as members boost the alliance’s industrial base.

US gave Tehran secret data on Iranian asylum seekers, lawsuit alleges

The data includes details on protesters and members of the LGBT community who applied for asylum to avoid ‘grave danger’, the lawsuit claims.

China submarine fires long-range missile ahead of Nato summit

An unprecedented missile launch by a PLA nuclear submarine will prompt Nato leaders to focus more on the Asia-Pacific region.

Peak oil: China’s crude demand set to fall as EV bets ease Hormuz fears

China now faces the challenge of persistent refining overcapacity as ongoing electrification slashes fuel demand, CNPC official says.

Third tanker struck in Strait of Hormuz region in 24 hours

The third ship sustained minor damage, with no one injured, and continued on its way.

Lebanon says school principal among 4 killed in Israeli drone strike on car

IDF claims it targeted ‘suspects’ approaching the area its forces occupy in southern Lebanon.

France’s Macron becomes first Western head of state to visit post-Assad Syria

French president pledges support for a sovereign, peaceful Syria as new authorities seek international legitimacy and reconstruction funds.

Nato can’t be ‘naive’ about China as it ramps up military might, Rutte claims

Nato’s secretary general contacts Japan’s defence minister after Chinese nuclear submarine fires test missile into Pacific.

Crowds of mourners gather in Tehran for Khamenei funeral procession

Iranians come out to see Ali Khamenei’s flag-draped coffin, and those of his family killed in a February 28 air strike.

Netanyahu says some Lebanese villages ‘asked to be annexed to Israel’

Israeli leader asserts unnamed Christian villages sought protection from ‘Hezbollah fanatics who want to kill them’.

Trump to meet leaders of Ukraine and Syria at Turkey Nato summit

US president seeks to make headway in addressing two key conflicts as Ankara hosts two-day Nato gathering.

Why the Indo-Pacific might be on the back burner at the Nato summit

Immediate pressures over Ukraine, Iran and spending mean alliance’s concerns about China could be sidelined at Ankara gathering.

Opinion | How bitter Persian Gulf rivals can make peace the Asean way

Promoting de-escalation and shared prosperity in the Persian Gulf may seem arduous now. It once looked that way in Southeast Asia, too.

Opinion | What the Iran war has revealed about Brics+