Iran warns US may resume strikes as Trump weighs military action amid fresh threat exchange
Iran's military leadership has intensified its warnings to Washington, saying the war with the United States is not over and that it has prepared for a long-term conflict. In a statement carried by the country's armed forces and the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, officials said they believed the US was preparing to resume strikes on Iran after a meeting in an unnamed European country. They also said any new attack would bring repeated strikes on US bases and interests in the region.The latest exchange comes as US President Donald Trump said he was weighing his options on Iran after cutting... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 21 Sep 2026 12:29 LONDON
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Iran reports sharp GDP and energy-sector contraction amid war pressure
Iran's official data shows the economy contracted sharply in the first quarter of the Persian calendar year, with the oil and gas sector taking the biggest hit. The figures point to mounting pressure on Tehran's economy as the war with Israel and related US pressure continue to disrupt exports and trade. The decline was recorded over the period from March 21 to June 20.Data released by the government-administered Statistical Center of Iran showed gross domestic product fell 10.1% year-on-year in that period. Crude oil and natural gas activity contracted 26.4% compared with the same quarter a year earlier, while GDP... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 21 Sep 2026 12:00 LONDON
Iran's Guards warn of new targets and weapons if US attacks again
The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps has warned that it would strike new targets and deploy new weapons if the United States launches further attacks on Iran. In a statement reported on Monday, a spokesman for the force said there would be significant changes in Iran's defence and counteroffensive if the conflict escalates again. He added that the Guards were prepared for a prolonged war.The spokesman said Iran would introduce weapons with new capabilities and that its targets would not necessarily be the same as before. He also said Tehran had new targets that had not yet been attacked. The comments... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 21 Sep 2026 08:00 LONDON
JP Morgan says it cannot model oil-price endgame from US-Iran war
JP Morgan has said it is struggling to forecast how oil prices will move as the US-Iran war continues, telling investors that it "simply don't know how to model the endgame". The bank said it had initially assumed the conflict would be constrained by economic limits and that a deal would reopen the Strait of Hormuz shipping lane by June. Instead, it said the conflict has extended beyond those expectations, leaving its baseline view uncertain.In its note, the bank pointed to a set of thresholds it had expected would act as red lines for the Trump administration. Those included oil... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 18 Sep 2026 20:33 LONDON
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Houthis tighten grip on Bab al-Mandeb as US officials hold talks in Muscat
United States officials have met Houthi representatives in the Omani capital, Muscat, after the group seized thousands of square kilometres of territory in Yemen and tightened its control over the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. The talks took place over the weekend at the US embassy in Muscat, according to the supplied material. The development raises fresh concern over one of the world's most important maritime chokepoints.The Bab al-Mandeb Strait links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and is a key route for global shipping and energy supplies. The supplied report says the Houthis now control strategically important islands and... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 18 Sep 2026 14:33 LONDON
Iran says it struck tanker in the Strait of Hormuz as UK agency reports separate ship fire
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they struck and detained the Togo-flagged oil tanker Trend in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a statement carried by state media. The claim came as the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency separately reported that a ship in the same area had been hit by an unknown projectile and caught fire. It was not immediately clear whether the two reports referred to the same vessel or to two different incidents.The Guards said the tanker had been targeted after what they described as an illegal passage, and said a fire broke out on board late on... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 18 Sep 2026 10:30 LONDON
South Korea rules out military role in Iran war as Seoul reviews limited navigation support
President Lee Jae Myung has said South Korea will not deploy military assets in any way that could draw the country into the war in Iran. He made the remarks at a news conference on Friday, saying there would be no deployment that would "involve or enter war." The comments come after pressure from Donald Trump for Seoul to provide support, and they clarify South Korea's position on a sensitive regional security issue. Lee said Seoul was still reviewing whether it could take a limited role in safeguarding navigation in the region.He said South Korea must do the minimum needed,... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 18 Sep 2026 07:59 LONDON
Saudi oil rerouted through Oman as Hormuz blockade disrupts shipping
Saudi Arabia is increasingly moving crude through ship-to-ship transfers off Oman's Sohar port as disruption linked to the Strait of Hormuz blockade continues to reshape regional oil shipping. The arrangement is being used to get exports out after commercial vessels began avoiding the waterway, which has become effectively closed in the current conflict. Sohar, just outside the strait, has emerged as one of the main bypass points for the flow of crude.The supporting material says Saudi exports were disrupted after Iran-aligned Houthis damaged a key East-West pipeline that had helped bypass the Strait of Hormuz. It also says Iran closed... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 18 Sep 2026 07:30 LONDON
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Bank of Japan raises rates to 31-year high amid inflation pressure
Japan's central bank has raised its main interest rate to a fresh 31-year high as it continues to move away from decades of ultra-low borrowing costs. In a widely expected move on Friday, the Bank of Japan increased the rate from 1% to 1.25%, a level not seen since 1995. The decision comes as the country faces persistent inflation pressure, a weak yen and broader economic strain.The move extends a tightening cycle that began in 2024, when the rate stood at minus 0.1%. According to the supplied report, the bank has now raised rates six times in the past two... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 18 Sep 2026 06:32 LONDON
Italy to deploy warships to protect shipping through Bab al-Mandeb
Italy says it will deploy warships to protect commercial vessels transiting the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a move its defence minister says is needed to avoid severe economic fallout if the route becomes impassable. Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said Rome will not wait for a joint European Union decision before acting. He said Italy has the capabilities to protect the passage and should not allow bureaucratic delays to worsen an already complex situation.Bab al-Mandeb links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and is one of the world's busiest shipping corridors between Europe and Asia. The narrow waterway is a... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 18 Sep 2026 04:29 LONDON
Middle East conflict drives diesel and crude price spike for farmers and refiners
Crude oil prices have climbed above US$105 a barrel as the Middle East conflict continues to disrupt energy flows and push up costs for diesel, fertiliser and shipping. The price shock is being felt far beyond the region, including by farmers in Australia who say the higher costs are squeezing already thin margins. The disruption has also lifted refining profits, highlighting how quickly supply shocks can ripple through global fuel markets.A grain farmer in regional New South Wales said the cost of diesel, pesticides, herbicides and shipping to his property near Wagga Wagga had all increased. He said the higher... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 17 Sep 2026 20:32 LONDON
Rising energy prices push inflation higher again as Hormuz disruption continues
Rising energy prices are pushing inflation higher again, with major central banks now under pressure to consider interest rate rises. The development comes as the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted six months into the Iran war, while Houthi advances are also threatening Saudi oil supplies. The combination is feeding through into household and business bills and adding to concern over the outlook for growth.The report says policymakers are being forced to revisit an older assumption that oil shocks can simply be waited out. For decades, central banks treated energy spikes as temporary and avoided responding with tighter monetary policy. The... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 17 Sep 2026 12:29 LONDON
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China urges early reopening of Strait of Hormuz as it signals support for Iran
China has said it is willing to strengthen dialogue and cooperation with Iran and to safeguard what it called Iran's legitimate rights and interests. The comments came during a meeting in Beijing between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi. Wang also urged all parties to take effective measures to reopen the Strait of Hormuz at an early date.The meeting took place on Wednesday, a week before Chinese President Xi Jinping's planned trip to the United States, where he is expected to meet President Donald Trump. According to the remarks reported from the meeting, Wang said... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 16 Sep 2026 15:02 LONDON
US war with Iran costs more than $38 billion as munitions shortfalls deepen, CBO says
The US war with Iran has cost more than $38 billion by the beginning of August, according to a new estimate from the Congressional Budget Office. The figure covers spending by the Department of Defense from 28 February to 1 August, a little more than five months into the conflict. The CBO said the estimate was based on government databases and public reporting because the Pentagon did not provide information for the assessment.The report said the largest single cost was $21.7 billion for replacing munitions. It also warned that the US has probably used between half and two-thirds of its... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 16 Sep 2026 10:32 LONDON
Strait of Hormuz talks postponed amid Yemen escalation
Iran says a planned meeting with officials from Gulf states on the Strait of Hormuz has been postponed because of events unfolding in Yemen. Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the decision was taken jointly by Iran and Oman, and that the meeting in Oman would have been an opportunity to discuss what he described as a responsible approach to managing the waterway. He also said Saudi Arabia requested the postponement.Baghaei told a news conference that Iran has no involvement in Yemen and does not interfere in Yemeni affairs. He said the talks would have been a chance to show... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 14 Sep 2026 15:29 LONDON
Brent crude tops $107 as Hormuz shipping disruption deepens
Brent crude has climbed above $107 a barrel as disruption around the Strait of Hormuz and shutdowns at Saudi energy infrastructure continue to unsettle global oil markets. The benchmark rose by $3.21 to $107.82, according to the supplied report, after recent attacks on shipping in the waterway and on Saudi energy facilities. The developments have raised fresh concern about the security of one of the world's most important energy chokepoints.US officials say traffic through the strait is improving, but their assessment is at odds with the market reaction and with other reporting on vessel movements. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 14 Sep 2026 13:00 LONDON
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Fear the Shia, Arm the Sunnis: The Uncomfortable Numbers Behind America’s War Narrative
“When fear is managed carefully enough, a nation can be taught to look away from the blood on the floor and stare instead at the shadow on the wall.” A friend of mine, whose name I will not reveal because he asked me not to, sat across from me over dinner and placed a question on the table that would not leave me alone. He was born into a Muslim Shia background, and for the angle of this article, that detail matters, not because I wish to reduce a man to a sect, but because sect has become one of... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews-Opinion | 23 May 2026 08:00 LONDON
GAS, GOD, AND GUNS: The Secret Agenda Behind the Washington Talks and the Death of the Maritime Border
The mahogany tables of the U.S. State Department are hosting a ghost today. As official delegations from Israel and Lebanon convene for a third round of high-stakes negotiations this Friday, May 8, 2026, the air in Washington is thick with the scent of a "peace" that looks increasingly like a strategic ambush. While the world watches the diplomatic theatre, the reality on the ground in Southern Lebanon tells a story of a predatory recalibration. Prime Minister Netanyahu isn’t just looking for a ceasefire; he is aiming to hit three birds with one single, devastating stone: the annexation of land, the... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews-Opinion | 08 May 2026 12:29 LONDON
The Mirage of the Umbrella: The Shifting Sands of the U.S.-Israel-GCC Alliance
As I sat in a recent debate at the historic Carlton Club in London, listening to Faisal Abbas, the Editor-in-Chief of Arab News, I felt a tangible shift in the room, not because a new fact had been revealed, but because an old illusion had finally lost its last breath. The old-world order has not merely changed, it has evaporated, leaving the Gulf to realize it is no longer watching a distant fire from the safety of marble towers and air-conditioned ministries, but is instead standing directly inside the smoke. The GCC today is caught in a lethal crossfire between... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews-Opinion | 29 Apr 2026 21:40 LONDON
Shadows of Fire: The Long Arc of Iran–United States Tensions
A Region on Edge: The Latest Escalation In recent months, tensions between Iran and the United States have intensified once again, fueled by disputes over regional security, nuclear development, maritime incidents in the Persian Gulf, and the broader strategic balance in the Middle East. Officials in Washington have expressed renewed concern over Iran’s uranium enrichment levels, while leaders in Tehran have accused the United States of economic warfare through sanctions and diplomatic isolation. The fragile equilibrium that followed earlier rounds of indirect negotiations appears increasingly strained, with both sides engaging in sharp rhetoric at the United Nations, reinforcing military postures... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews-Opinion | 19 Feb 2026 08:49 LONDON
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