Iran
ASIA BLOG: China wins while Iran burns
The world needs a stable Asia – East and West – and would be better served by the removal of the current Iranian regime. Only in the removal of said regime will Beijing be forced back into a more constrained, less opportunistic global role.
China and Pakistan issue five-point peace plan for Gulf and Middle East
China and Pakistan issued a five-point peace plan on March 31 calling for an immediate ceasefire and reopening of Hormuz, though the plan's omission of the US and Israel by name and questions over Beijing's credibility as a guarantor may limit its im
IRGC threatens to strike US tech companies in retaliation for assassinations
Iran's IRGC named 18 US tech and AI firms including Google, Microsoft, Palantir and G42 as targets for retaliation
Italy secretly blocked US from using Sicily base for Iran strikes
Italy secretly blocked the US from using its Sigonella air base in Sicily for Iran strikes after jets were already airborne, the second NATO ally after Spain to refuse Washington access for the war.
COMMENT: An Iran embargo won't send oil to $200
A chorus of analysts and traders have spent recent weeks warning that oil prices will spike. But market is foward-looking and has already priced in the worst case. $200 oil won't happen.
Iranian missile debris damages buildings near Ukrainian embassy in Tel Aviv
Iranian missile debris landed near the Ukrainian embassy in Tel Aviv on March 31, injuring six and damaging vehicles and buildings as Iran maintains daily strikes on Israeli territory a month into the war.
Iran warns Trump any ground invasion would become 'civilisational' battle like 'Thermopylae'
Iran warns any US ground invasion would make the Ramadan defence "civilisational" invoking the Battle of Thermopylae.
Tehran hit by waves of air strikes overnight as Israel targets Iranian capital
Tehran hit by waves of Israeli air strikes overnight with power knocked out in parts of the capital.
China emerges as Iran war safe haven
China is emerging as a safe haven for investors seeking refuge from the Iran war storm.
IMF: How the war in the Middle East is affecting energy, trade, and finance
Energy prices, supply chains, and financial markets are the main transmission channels, but the regional effects will vary significantly. The world faces yet another shock.
UPDATE: Drone strike hits Kuwaiti oil tanker off Dubai coast
Authorities in Dubai announced that emergency teams successfully extinguished a fire aboard a Kuwaiti oil tanker.
US-Israel plan for Kurdish incursion into Iran collapses
A joint plan by the US and Israel to support a Kurdish ground incursion into Iran has collapsed following leaks and regional opposition, according to The Times of India, which reported that the proposal had been under development for several years.
TCHAKAROV: Shockwaves from Tehran in the Caucasus and Central Asia
The spillover effects of recent developments in Iran have already begun to manifest themselves in ways that demand investor attention.
Fires reported at pumping stations along UAE’s ADCOP pipeline
Satellite imagery appears to show fires at two pumping stations along the UAE’s Habshan–Fujairah oil pipeline, a key export route designed to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.
BEYOND THE BOSPORUS: Turkey builds house for PKK leader Ocalan on prison island Imrali
Kurdish representatives tread carefully in referring to dwelling that is part of latest peace process.
Iran fights propaganda war with Lego Trump and AI rap
Iran's AI-generated Lego propaganda videos, depicting Trump, Netanyahu and the devil launching missiles, have shocked the internet.
IRGC chief tells Netanyahu to accept "new regional order"
Quds Force commander Qaani has posted a taunt to Netanyahu saying the resistance "war room is one" and telling Israel to accept a new regional order, as questions over Qaani's own fate remain unresolved.
Iran’s shadow fleet and shadow banks keeps the money pouring in
Iran has doubled its oil exports since the start of Operation Epic Fury, sustaining flows of between 2.4mn and 2.8mn barrels per day (b/d), including 1.5mn to 1.8mn b/d of crude. It has also doubled the amount of money it’s earning.
Iran could earn $60bn a year from Strait of Hormuz tariffs, economist says
An Iranian economist says controlling the Strait of Hormuz could generate $60bn a year in transit tariffs for Tehran.
Israel now occupies more of Lebanon than Russia does of Ukraine
Israel has occupied more of Lebanon’s territory after three weeks of fighting than Russia controls of Ukraine after four years of war.