External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar during the ‘Partners for Multilateralism, International Law, Peace & Prosperity’ (P4M) Summit in New York. Photo credit: @DrSJaishankar/X via PTI

Hundreds of thousands of Iranians rallied Friday (September 18, 2026) in a government-organised show of defiance after months of war, pledging their readiness to take up arms in the biggest such demonstration since the United States and Israel attacked in February.

Iran’s government has sought to rally the people and stress national unity, even as the economy worsens under a U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports and new U.S. sanctions. On Friday (September 18, 2026), it claimed another attack on a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway it has sought to control since the start of the war.

Estimates varied on the number of people volunteering to receive limited military training and defend the country in an effort described as “Janfaday-e Iran,” or the “ones who sacrifice their lives for Iran.” They marched through downtown Tehran in combat uniform, carrying flags, as onlookers cheered.

For days, state media have encouraged Iranians to join the campaign, saying training with assault rifles would begin soon. The volunteers would be an additional layer of security for the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and the Basij militia, which has played a key role in quashing anti-government protests.

Bogged down: On the U.S.-Iran conflict escalation

Tehran’s Guard chief, Gen. Hassan Hassanzadeh, told the state broadcaster that over 600,000 people had registered to participate, with over 1 million expected to take part in the training. On Friday morning (September 18, 2026), the broadcaster estimated over 300,000 people were on the streets.

The new head of the Basij, Hossein Taeb, declared in a speech as the rally began that the volunteers will be ready for “full-fledged defense” and similar rallies will take place in other cities soon.

The new trainees will make a “nightmare” for Iran’s enemies, Taeb added, as President Masoud Pezeshkian, military commanders and other senior officials watched the march.

Some participants trampled flags of the U.S. and Israel. Others chanted “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.”

“I am here to tell [U.S. President Donald] Trump that we Iranians have no fear of his threats against our homeland,” said Marzieh Afaghi, 24, who attended the rally with her toddler and husband. “No one in history could invade Iran and remain there.”

The rally was also a chance for Iran to show off military hardware. Anti-aircraft batteries were on display, while female Guard members in black headscarves sat with truck-mounted machine guns.

The Guard displayed drones that have been used against ships in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran’s attacks and threats have severely affected the Gulf region’s shipments of oil and natural gas to the rest of the world.

Iran said it had attacked a Togo-flagged oil tanker, the Trend, for what it called an “illegal attempt” to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the state broadcaster reported. The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations centre said a tanker was hit by a projectile, sparking a fire on board that was extinguished.

The UKMTO, in a separate update, said ship transits facilitated by the U.S. military off Oman have averaged 24 a day over the past week but overall traffic remains about 90% lower than before the war.

Friday’s (September 18, 2026) events also suggested that hard-liners like Taeb among Iran’s leadership will be more prepared to suppress any future demonstration against the theocracy.

In January, shortly before the war, Iran saw some of its largest nationwide protests in history, which began over the struggling economy and turned into wider grievances. Activists have said a crackdown killed over 7,000 people and saw tens of thousands detained.

In May, government officials said more than 30 million people in Iran — which has a total population of some 90 million — had volunteered via an online form or at public gatherings to lay down their lives for the theocracy. The Associated Press could not independently confirm that.

Published – September 18, 2026 10:15 pm IST

U.S. President Donald Trump.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

A file image of Kharg Island.
| Photo Credit: AFP

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened on Monday (August 31, 2026) to hit Iran “hard” after the two foes traded fire for the first time in weeks, as his Treasury secretary vowed to keep up a pressure campaign aimed at hobbling Tehran’s economy.

After six months of war, the foes remain at an impasse, with Iran keeping the strategic Strait of Hormuz closed and the U.S. persisting with a counter-blockade of Iranian ports.

On Sunday (August 30), the United States carried out strikes on an Iranian island in the Strait of Hormuz, with Tehran quickly retaliating by attacking U.S. military targets in West Asia.

The exchange raised fears of a return to major hostilities, with the U.S. President vowing to respond.

“We’re going to hit them hard,” Mr. Trump said, according to a Fox News reporter who spoke to him briefly. “There will be a response.”

The United States said it attacked Iranian rocket launchers on the island of Larak to prevent Tehran planting mines in the key shipping lane.

Iran responded with missile and drone attacks aimed at Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, saying they targeted U.S. forces there, but President Masoud Pezeshkian later on Monday called for dialogue.

“We continue to strive for a path of agreement and understanding, and we believe that continuing the war is neither in our interest, nor in the interest of the region,” he said at a summit in Kyrgyzstan, adding “the solution to the existing problems is dialogue and cooperation.”

Missiles, drones

State media reported that three people were killed in the U.S. attack Sunday on Larak, with several others wounded.

Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards said the ballistic missile attack targeting two U.S. air bases in Jordan caused “heavy damage”.

But Mr. Trump told Fox that all the missiles fired at U.S. forces had been shot down, except for one that was determined not to pose a threat. Jordan’s army said it had intercepted eight missiles, without stating their origin.

Iran also said it targeted U.S. personnel at an air base in the UAE, and shot down an American drone over Hormuz.

Abu Dhabi said it intercepted a drone over the country’s waters, but dismissed claims that Al Minhad Air Base had been targeted as “baseless.”

The Guards reported knocking out a second U.S. drone over the Hormuz on Monday evening, and Iran’s armed forces central command reiterated a warning to its regional neighbours not to allow the US to use their territory to carry out attacks.

A tanker leaving the strait reported being hit by three “unknown projectiles” just off the northeastern edge of Oman, the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations agency said late Monday, noting that there were no known environmental impacts or casualties.

‘Continue exerting pressure’

The exchange of fire came after weeks of relative calm, with the Trump administration recently pivoting to “economic warfare”.

Earlier on Monday, Mr. Trump had called Iran “a Failed Nation”, saying on social media that its military was decimated, its finances were crumbling “and their leadership is in total disarray”.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent vowed to keep up the economic pain.

“We are going to continue exerting pressure, and we’ve had very good discussions here already,” Mr. Bessent told reporters at a G20 meeting in North Carolina.

He said a turning point in the pressure campaign could come “within weeks or months”.

Iran is exerting economic pressure of its own through its blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, which has roiled global markets and driven up prices for American voters in a closely fought midterm election year.

One-fifth of the world’s oil passed through the strait before the war.

Hormuz flashpoint

Despite traffic remaining throttled six months on, Mr. Trump has claimed the U.S. navy has “total control” of the strait, with Washington last week announcing it had completed clearing explosives from the waterway.

Iran, however, insists it is in charge of the sea lane. The Revolutionary Guards said Monday that a “rogue” oil tanker caught fire near the strait after it hit two mines while attempting to transit an “illegal route.”

The U.S. military called the claim “disinformation,” saying: “No ships have hit mines in the Strait of Hormuz.”

Mediators have tried for months to broker an end to the war, but an earlier truce and memorandum of understanding fell apart.

Iran recently has been trying to push the U.S. to return to the previous deal, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi telling state TV on Monday that “the solution is completely clear and straightforward: the United States must return to its commitments”.

“In that case, everything can be put back on the right track,” he said.

Published – September 01, 2026 07:05 am IST

Iran’s armed forces warned Gulf countries against assisting the U.S. military on Wednesday (August 19, 2026), hours after the United Arab Emirates announced it was severing economic ties with Tehran following new attacks on shipping.

The Gulf is dotted with U.S. military installations, including in the UAE, which said on Tuesday (August 18, 2026) that Iran had fired two ballistic missiles at vessels off its coast.

Despite a recent lull in hostilities between the United States and Iran, the Strait of Hormuz — which Tehran has blockaded — remains a flashpoint, and attacks on commercial ships have continued.

A framework U.S.-Iran deal aimed at reopening the vital trade corridor collapsed, and although both sides recently said messages were being exchanged, U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday (August 18, 2026) insisted talks were off, taunting Iran with a social media post depicting the strait as a “NEW U.S. Territory”.

West Asia war LIVE

Iranian armed forces chief of staff Ali Abdollahi, according to the Mehr news agency, warned, “any assistance or facilitation provided to the aggressor U.S. military amounts to participation in the U.S. military operation”.

The conflict broke out on February 28 with U.S.-Israeli attacks on the Islamic Republic, which retaliated with missile and drone strikes across the region.

Since the start of the war, many West Asian countries have said they would not allow the United States to use their territory as a launchpad for attacks, though Mr. Abdollahi cast doubt on those promises.

“It seems unlikely that such a large number of military aircraft, particularly refuelling aircraft, could be present at regional bases without knowledge of host countries,” said Mr. Abdollahi, adding that Gulf countries “should know that we are fully aware of the situation”.

Media outlets have reported that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain have all hit targets in Iran in retaliation for Tehran’s attacks on the Gulf, though the countries have mostly denied the reports.

‘Halted until further notice’

On Tuesday (August 18, 2026), the UAE announced that it was suspending all economic dealings with Iran.

“In light of regional escalations… all trade, commercial exchanges, and financial transactions with Iran have been halted until further notice,” foreign ministry communications director Afra Al Hameli said.

Earlier in the day, Abu Dhabi accused Iran of firing two ballistic missiles towards the country, later clarifying the salvo was directed at shipping.

The neighbours across the Gulf share deep cultural and historical ties, and the UAE — home to a sizable Iranian community — had been a major trading partner for U.S.-sanctioned Iran, at least before the war.

The UAE recalled its ambassador to Tehran early in the conflict and has shut Iran-linked schools and a hospital.

Tankers belonging to the UAE’s state-owned oil company ADNOC have been repeatedly targeted in the past few weeks.

Top U.S. diplomat Marco Rubio spoke to the UAE’s national security adviser by phone on Tuesday (August 18, 2026) to discuss “coordination to hold Iran and its terrorist proxies accountable for ongoing attacks”, as well as the importance of free passage through Hormuz.

‘No talks’

Diplomatic efforts to settle the conflict have stalled, but Mr. Trump’s envoy and son-in-law Jared Kushner said on Monday (August 17, 2026) that the United States and Iran were having “very positive and active conversations”.

The President, however, denied that was the case on Tuesday (August 18, 2026), again insisting that the Strait of Hormuz was open, despite the Iranian blockade having throttled traffic for months.

“There are no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled, with the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Naval Blockade remains in full force and effect,” Mr. Trump wrote on social media, referring to a U.S. counter-blockade of Iranian ports.

Earlier, Mr. Trump had posted a map showing the Strait of Hormuz as a “NEW U.S. Territory”, echoing a previous threat to annex the conduit for oil and gas shipments.

The U.S. has largely paused military operations, with U.S. media reporting that the war has put a strain on stockpiles of essential munitions, which Mr. Trump and the Pentagon have publicly denied.

With months of U.S. military operations having failed to decisively end the conflict, Iranian officials have publicly struck a defiant tone in the face of ongoing threats from Washington.

Iran’s Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf visited Iraq, saying the trip was “aimed at strengthening the new order in the region” and boosting cooperation “without foreign interference”.

“Resistance in Iraq is also one of the elements of this country’s power,” he said, in an apparent reference to the pro-Iran armed groups operating inside the country.

Published – August 19, 2026 09:45 pm IST

The U.S. stock market is rallying toward a record on Tuesday (August 4, 2026) as companies keep piling up profits and oil prices ease.

The S&P 500 climbed 1.7% and is on track to top its all-time high set a couple months ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 966 points, or 1.8%, to its own record set the day before, while the Nasdaq composite was 2.2% higher, as of 12:55 p.m. Eastern time.

Despite worries about high inflation, the war in Iran and a possible bubble in stock prices because of euphoria around the boom in artificial-intelligence technology, Wall Street is nearing its latest apex in large part because profits are soaring for companies. That’s key because stock prices tend to follow the path of corporate earnings over the long term.

Palantir Technologies helped lead the way and jumped 29.3% after CEO Alex Karp said its overall revenue leaped 93% in what he called an “otherworldly” quarter. Besides reporting a stronger profit for the spring than analysts expected, the AI company also raised its revenue forecast for the full year of 2026.

Caterpillar climbed 6.5% after the heavy-equipment maker likewise reported stronger profit and revenue than analysts expected. It was the first time Caterpillar made more than $20 billion in sales and revenue in a quarter, and CEO Joe Creed said it’s seeing strong order rates and a growing backlog across its main businesses.

Caterpillar is also benefiting from the AI boom through increased orders for turbines used to power data centers, among other things.

McDonald’s added 0.9% after topping analysts’ expectations for profit during the spring, even as its customers faced increased pressure from expensive gasoline and worries about the economy.

They’re the latest companies to deliver even better profits for the latest quarter than investors expected, following strong results from Amazon, Microsoft and others. Coming into this week, companies in the S&P 500 index were on track to deliver growth of nearly 50% in earnings per share for the spring from a year earlier, according to FactSet.

That would be the biggest such jump since the spring of 2021, when the economy was roaring out of the COVID-19 pandemic. With corporate profits up so much, while stock prices are still roughly where they were two months ago, they don’t look as expensive as they did before, according to Phil Segner, a co-portfolio manager at the Leuthold Group.

Also helping stocks on Tuesday was another drop for oil prices.

Brent crude, the international standard, sank 4.9% to $79.64 per barrel as hope once again took over from fear in the oil market. It had swung sharply between $72 and $102 through July on uncertainty about when the war with Iran would allow oil tankers to freely exit the Persian Gulf again to deliver crude around the world.

It’s jerked up and down many times as uncertainty built, receded and then built again, not only week to week but also hour to hour. Analysts warned more could still be ahead, but the latest drop in oil prices nevertheless helped to ease Wall Street’s worries about inflation.

That in turn pulled down yields in the bond market, which relaxes pressure on the overall economy and on prices for stocks and other investments.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.63% from 4.70% Monday (August 3) and from 4.75% at the end of last week. That’s a notable move for the bond market, though it remains well above its 3.97% level from before the war with Iran.

Higher yields make it more expensive for all kinds of Americans to borrow money, from homebuyers looking for a mortgage to big companies looking to build AI data centres.

Reports on the U.S. economy, meanwhile, showed it remains resilient even though inflation remains worse than anyone would like. One said U.S. employers were advertising nearly 7.4 million job openings at the end of June, a slight slowdown from May’s level but close to economists’ expectations.

In stock markets abroad, indexes rose modestly across much of Europe and Asia.

South Korea’s Kospi had a more significant move and rose 1.6%. Seoul has been home to some of the world’s sharpest swings recently because its stock market is dominated by two companies swept up in AI mania, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. The Kospi had dropped 5.1% and soared 17.9% in the prior two days.

Stocks of computer chip companies also strengthened on Wall Street, where gains of 6.1% for Broadcom, 1.9% for Nvidia and 8% for Micron Technology were some of the strongest forces lifting the S&P 500.

Published – August 05, 2026 03:13 am IST

Oman has presented Iran with a plan backed by Gulf states to manage the Strait of Hormuz, including collecting voluntary fees for using it, ‌a Gulf source and a Western diplomat told Reuters on Tuesday (July 28, 2026). The plan could serve as a basis to ​end the disruption to trade through the strait caused by the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.

Also read | Iran says deal to end West Asia war ‘declaration of U.S. defeat’

President Donald Trump, who abruptly ⁠called off a two-week U.S. bombing campaign over the weekend in his latest strategic U-turn, said there were “good talks” under way with Iran but threatened to restart strikes unless negotiations deliver. Iran denies seeking to resume talks with the United States. Washington launched its renewed bombing campaign earlier this month to break Iran’s grip on ‌the strait, through which about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flowed before the war.

Iran effectively shut the strait to ships other than its own after the United States and Israel attacked on February 28. A deal last ‌month between the United States and Iran partially reopened it, but the agreement collapsed in early July after Iran fired on ships ‌using ⁠a channel it does not approve.

Iran has said it wants to manage the strait alongside Oman, which controls the ⁠opposite shore, and charge service fees to ships that use it. Washington wants to return to the status quo before the war, when ships were able to pass freely with no payments, and says charging mandatory fees would be illegal. Under the Omani proposal, Iran would not exercise sole control and fees would be voluntary, the Gulf source ​and Western diplomat briefed on the matter told Reuters.

The system ‌would be analogous to one in place on Asia’s Strait of Malacca, where Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore ask ships to pay voluntary contributions to fund navigation, environmental protection and search-and-rescue operations.

The Western diplomat compared it to a voluntary carbon tax for flights, where anyone buying a plane ticket can choose to tick a box if they want to pay to offset their emissions.

The Gulf source said that ‌as of Monday (July 27) evening there had been no formal response from Iran to the proposal. Omani officials met Iranians in Tehran ​over the weekend.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi discussed the Strait of Hormuz with his Omani and Saudi counterparts on Monday (July 27) and stressed the need for regional cooperation, an Iranian Foreign Ministry statement said.

TRUMP WARNS OF MORE STRIKES

Mr. Trump called ⁠off his latest campaign of air strikes after receiving advice from military commanders that the strategy had run its course. The 13 nights of renewed U.S. bombing killed scores in Iran and destroyed bridges and tunnels across the south as well as military targets.

Iran had responded with attacks on U.S. ‌bases in neighbouring countries that killed four service members, and strikes on civil infrastructure in Gulf states that it said were in response to U.S. strikes on civilian targets.

Iran has said it would hold fire as long as Washington does. But drone attacks were reported in Jordan, Saudi Arabia and northern Iran on Monday (July 27), and Jordan reported another drone being downed on Tuesday.

Speaking on Monday (July 27), Mr. Trump expressed optimism for a deal to end the five-month conflict, while warning that U.S. strikes would resume if negotiations failed to deliver.

“I think there’s a good chance that something could happen, and if it does, good, if it doesn’t, we go back to doing what we were doing two days ago.”

Iran says it has ‌not sought any new negotiations with the United States, which it accuses of violating the agreement reached last month on a framework for talks to end the war. The ​U.S. President is scheduled to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington on Tuesday (July 28). Although Israel was involved in the initial bombing campaign, it has not been part of subsequent peace talks, and recent relations between the two leaders ⁠have been strained.

Mr. Trump has had to rein in the Israeli leader from attacking targets in Lebanon to try to weaken Iran-backed Hezbollah militants, complicating peace ⁠talks with Tehran.

The end of the U.S. bombing campaign over the weekend sent oil prices tumbling by around 8% on Monday, and the fall continued on Tuesday. Brent crude futures were down more than 2.5% at around $86 a barrel by mid-morning on ‌Tuesday.

Washington and Tehran reached an agreement in June on a framework for talks meant to take place by the end of August to resolve major issues such as Iran’s nuclear programme. But they have disputed the meaning of the memorandum’s language about the strait, with ​Washington insisting it requires Tehran to allow free travel, while Iran says it grants it the authority to supervise transit.

Published – July 28, 2026 11:12 pm IST

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz. File
| Photo Credit: AP