Foreign policy
European ministers call for a tax on energy company windfall profits as Iran war drives price surge
Spain’s First Vice-President and Minister of Economy, Trade and Business, Carlos Cuerpo walks ahead of a cabinet meeting at Moncloa Palace in Madrid, Spain, on March 31, 2026. Violeta Santos Moura | Reuters The finance ministers of Spain and four other European countries are urging the European Union to impose a bloc-wide windfall tax on […]
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U.S. fighter jet downed in Iran, search is on for crew, official says
A U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle on 16 July 2020. Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images The U.S. was searching for the crew of an American fighter jet Friday after it was downed in Iran, a U.S. official told MS NOW. It isn’t clear if the plane was shot down or went down for […]
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Trump threatens to destroy Iran power plants as reports emerge of downed U.S. F-35
A general view of Tehran with smoke visible in the distance after explosions were reported in the city, on March 2, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. Contributor | Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to destroy Iran’s bridges and power plants, saying the “New Regime leadership knows what has to be done, and […]
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Asia-Pacific markets rise in Easter trade on hopes for Hormuz reopening
Asia-Pacific markets traded higher Friday, after news that Iran and Oman were drafting a protocol to “monitor transit” through the Strait of Hormuz raised hopes that the crucial waterway could partially reopen. Tanker traffic through the key oil-shipping route “should be supervised and coordinated” with the two countries, said Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister of […]
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Trump’s threat to hit Iran ‘extremely hard’ jolts Asian stocks, U.S. futures and oil
U.S. President Donald Trump acknowledges those in attendance after speaking from the Cross Hall of the White House on April 1, 2026 in Washington, DC. Alex Brandon | Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. will hit Iran “extremely hard” over the next two or three weeks in a national address on Wednesday. “We’re going […]
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Iran sets up ‘toll booth’ in Strait of Hormuz, as oil tankers detour via Larak Island for safe passage
While choking off most traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, Iran has quietly established a de facto safe-shipping corridor north of Larak Island, as Tehran seeks to monetize its grip on the world’s most important oil shipping artery. Traffic through the strait has fallen by 90% since the war began on Feb 28, with Iran […]
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Oil prices fall in choppy trade as Trump addresses the U.S. on Iran war
The Liberia-flagged crude oil tanker Shenlong Suezmax successfully docked at Mumbai Port after navigating the high-risk Strait of Hormuz amid the intensifying West Asia conflict on March 11, 2026 in Mumbai, India. Hindustan Times | Getty Images Oil fell in a volatile session as traders awaited U.S. President Donald Trump’s address to the nation on […]
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