Us iran

Stocks shake off Iran jitters as AI pushes market up, even amid oil climbs and Hormuz crisis

The MSCI All-World index was up 0.13% to trade around record highs, as markets from Tokyo to Seoul traded at or near all-time peaks, underpinned by avid demand for anything AI-related.

Markets are closely watching the next moves in the U.S.-Iran conflict, as renewed tensions in the Strait of Hormuz continue to threaten global oil flows, inflation stability, and investor confidence.
IDF soldiers conducting counterterrorism operations against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, published May 24, 2026.

Hezbollah likely pushing Iran to secure its inclusion in any ceasefire agreement with US - report

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio holds a press briefing in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, DC, US, May 5, 2026.

Pakistan foreign minister set to discuss Iran with Rubio in Washington

A man holds an Iranian flag near an anti-US billboard depicting US President Donald Trump and the Strait of Hormuz, in Tehran, Iran, May 2, 2026.

Iran will not back down from red lines in negotiations, Iranian security official says


Saudi Arabia asks US to end Hormuz blockade amid worries of possible Houthi retaliation - WSJ

Saudi officials appear to be weighing not only the direct risks in the Gulf, but also the possibility that Iran could respond through allied forces elsewhere in the region.

US President Donald Trump and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia interact during the US-Saudi Investment Forum in Washington, US, November 19, 2025.

IMF warns of potential global recession if Iran war worsens in latest economic outlook report

The report notes that the worst-case "severe scenario," which assumes an extended conflict and high oil prices, would lead the world into another recession.

Oil barrels and several hundred dollars; Illustrative.

Vance says next step in negotiations up to Iran, US has all the cards with blockade in effect

Vance explained that the US discovered that the team would need to return to Tehran “and actually get approval to the terms we had set…either from the supreme leader or somebody else.”

U.S. Vice President JD Vance walks as Jared Kushner looks on, after arriving for talks with Iranian officials in Islamabad, Pakistan, Saturday, April 11, 2026.

Dialogue between US, Iran still alive after Islamabad talks ended

A source involved in the talks said the parties came "very close" to an agreement and were "80% there" before running into decisions that could not be settled on the spot. 

US Vice President JD Vance, left, meets with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for talks about Iran, in Islamabad, Pakistan, April 11, 2026.

Is Trump’s new naval blockade 3D chess or grasping at straws?

The blockade was set to begin at 10 a.m. Eastern Time, which is in the afternoon in Iran. Whether this marks a bold new strategy or a sign the US is grasping at straws remains to be seen.

A projectile approaches what US Central Command (CENTCOM) says is an Iranian naval vessel, during strikes that included attacks on mine-laying vessels, at a location given as near the Strait of Hormuz, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in this screen grab from video released March 10, 2026.

US to begin enforcing maritime blockade in Strait of Hormuz on Monday, Trump confirms

"The blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas," CENTCOM said in a statement.

A US Navy sailor signals an F/A-18E Super Hornet on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in support of the Operation Epic Fury attack on Iran at an undisclosed location March 4, 2026.

Pakistan Defense Minister deletes anti-Israel post from X after diplomatic backlash

Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif briefly posted a message on X accusing Israel of carrying out “genocide” and using language Israeli officials condemned as inflammatory and offensive.

Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif speaks during an interview with Reuters in Islamabad, Pakistan, October 20, 2025.

US says Iran lost track of mine locations spread in Strait of Hormuz, complicating reopening - NYT

The mines, which were laid by small boats and without a clear record of where they were placed, make the Strait of Hormuz almost impossible to transit.

 A map showing the Strait of Hormuz and Iran is seen in this illustration taken June 22, 2025.

Mamdani condemns Iran war, claims conflict led to violence, prejudice within US

“The very things that I often speak about that are necessary for New Yorkers…would cost a fraction of this tens of billions that we are seeing [fund the war],” Mamdani said.

NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks at a press conference after an Air Canada Express jet collided with a ground vehicle at New York's LaGuardia Airport in Queens, New York, U.S., March 23, 2026.

IRGC commander, Iranian FM Araghchi clash over negotiating team before US-Iran talks - report

The sources shared that IRGC Commander-in-Chief Ahmad Vahidi is attempting to curb the authority of Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

(L to R) Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi, ran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi