By John Irish and Parisa Hafezi PARIS/DUBAI, April 19 (Reuters) – European allies fear an inexperienced U.S. negotiating team is pushing for a swift, headline‑grabbing framework deal with Iran that could entrench rather than resolve deeper problems, diplomats with past experience dealing with Tehran said. They worry Washington, eager to claim a diplomatic win for…
Iran fended off the United States using asymmetric warfare and planning, Parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf said on Saturday. The Iranian leader’s message comes as tensions simmer over the US-Israeli war on the West Asian country, currently paused under a fragile ceasefire. Iran’s Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. (AFP) “We fought an asymmetric war in…
The US is reportedly planning to board and seize vessels linked to Iran in international waters in the coming days. The move, if implemented, would let the US navy expand its blockade beyond the Middle East, the Wall Street Journal said in a report on Saturday. Ships and tankers in the Strait of Hormuz off…
ANTALYA, Turkey, April 18 (Reuters) – No date has been set for the next round of negotiations between Iran and the United States, Iran’s deputy foreign minister said on Saturday, adding that a framework of understanding must be agreed first. The highest-level U.S.-Iran talks since the 1979 Islamic Revolution ended in Islamabad without agreement last weekend….
The US-Israeli war on Iran has unleashed sharp swings across global energy and financial markets, fuelling demand for safe-haven assets, with Hong Kong emerging as a potential beneficiary across gold, property and capital markets. In the first of a three-part series, we examine Hong Kong’s bid to position itself as Asia’s bullion hub. War in…
Hong Kong’s investments in the Middle East will not be derailed by ongoing conflicts, the commerce minister has said, expressing confidence in the region’s economic prospects and urging businesses to take a long-term view. “The geopolitical situation has a temporary impact, but in the long term, we remain hopeful about development in the Middle East,”…
DUBAI, April 17 (Reuters) – Significant differences between Iran and the United States remain to reach a deal aimed at ending the war, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Friday, adding that keeping the Strait of Hormuz open is “conditional on U.S. adherence to the terms of ceasefire”. The official, who spoke on condition…
April 17 (Reuters) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on Friday for joint efforts for an effective mission to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and said Kyiv’s wartime experience in the Black Sea could help. “Decisions made regarding Hormuz now will determine how other aggressive actors perceive the possibility of creating…
WASHINGTON, April 17 (Reuters) – The U.S. is urging G20 members and the International Monetary Fund and World Bank to take coordinated action to ensure fertilizer access amid disruptions in food trade supply chains caused by the war in the Middle East, two sources familiar with the matter said on Friday. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott…
Cathay Group also said on Friday that it aimed to restore all flights after June. The company earlier announced it was cutting the number of Cathay Pacific flights by 2 per cent and HK Express services by 6 per cent between mid-May and the end of June. The group attributed the passenger growth to a…