Foreign policy
Trump’s Iran ultimatum and signals of a possible deal keep investors on tenterhooks
US President Donald Trump during a prime-time address to the nation in the Cross Hall of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, April 1, 2026. Alex Brandon | Bloomberg | Getty Images Investors are caught between positioning for a swift deal that ends the war and a significant escalation that could send […]
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Japan’s Nikkei 225 set to fall as Trump’s Iran deadline pushes oil higher in holiday-thinned Asia
A small boat with fishermen passes as a vessel sits at anchor, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, off Sultan Qaboos Port in Muscat, Oman, March 25, 2026. Stringer | Reuters Japanese markets were set to open lower open on Monday, while most markets in Asia were closed for holidays, as investors parsed the latest […]
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Oil prices rise as Trump warns Iran to open Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday or face ‘hell’
Satellite view of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global energy supply, connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman. Gallo Images | Getty Images Oil prices rose on Sunday with U.S. crude topping $114 per barrel, after President Donald Trump gave Iran until Tuesday to open the Strait of Hormuz or […]
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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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