THE PAST couple of days in the Middle East have been characterised by the now-familiar whiplash. On April 17th Donald Trump announced the Strait of Hormuz had opened to traffic. Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, confirmed as much. The same day outlets linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) criticised Mr Araghchi for failing…
DUBAI, April 20 (Reuters) – Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Monday that every rational and diplomatic path should be used to reduce tensions with the U.S., but added that vigilance and distrust in interactions with Washington were an “undeniable necessity”, according to the state news agency IRNA. A two-week ceasefire between Iran and the…
Financial markets got quite excited after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi tweeted at 8:45am New York time on Friday (10:45pm Friday AEST) that the Strait of Hormuz was “completely open”, followed by a series of jubilant posts by US President Donald Trump and a triumphant, if bellicose, speech. Oil futures fell 10 per cent and…
The US is more coordinated with China than many assume, former Israeli Navy commander Maj.-Gen. (res.) Eliezer Marom told 103FM on Wednesday. “I think the fuel problem has been completely solved, because the Chinese will get supplies from the Russians,” he said, claiming that alternative energy arrangements are already reducing the impact of regional disruption…
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…
new video loaded: Pope Leo Says News Outlets Misunderstood Recent Remarks as Trump Criticism transcript Back transcript Pope Leo Says News Outlets Misunderstood Recent Remarks as Trump Criticism Pope Leo XIV said that news outlets misinterpreted his recent remarks as criticism of President Trump. The pontiff has called for an end to the violence in…
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…