International relations, geopolitics, wars, major global shifts
The U.S. introduced a UN Security Council resolution urging Iran to stop attacks and mining in the Strait of Hormuz. China and Russia are expected to veto it, leaving no new multilateral enforcement mechanism for one of the world's most critical oil shipping corridors.
Shell's CEO says the global oil market is short nearly 1 billion barrels as the Strait of Hormuz remains closed following conflict with Iran. The deficit grows every day without a resolution, with markets watching for a possible U.S.-Iran deal to reopen the key shipping lane.
The US is pressing Israel to de-escalate ahead of Lebanese-Israeli delegation talks scheduled in Washington, DC, next week, a Lebanese official told Al Jazeera. American involvement signals Washington wants a stable environment before diplomacy resumes on one of the region's most sensitive borders.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian confirmed he has met with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. Direct contact between the two top figures signals high-level coordination at a time of active nuclear diplomacy and ongoing sanctions pressure on Iran.
Israel struck Beirut's southern suburbs for the first time since a US-brokered ceasefire took effect on April 16, breaking the truce. The attack raises serious doubts about the ceasefire's durability and puts US diplomatic credibility in the region under pressure.
Iran is reviewing a US nuclear proposal delivered via Pakistan, as Trump says talks are progressing. A deal could unlock Iranian oil exports and push global crude prices lower, while Israeli strikes on Beirut add regional pressure to the negotiations.
Ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas have stalled over Hamas disarmament demands, with Israeli media reporting military preparations to resume fighting in Gaza. A return to large-scale conflict would escalate the humanitarian crisis and lift regional risk premiums.
A Chinese-owned oil products tanker was attacked near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, per Caixin. The strike came the same day the Trump administration launched a vessel-protection plan for the region, which it then suspended within 24 hours.
Iran says it is reviewing a U.S. proposal to end the war after President Trump threatened new bombing unless a deal is struck, with guaranteed access to the Strait of Hormuz as a key condition. The outcome directly affects global oil supply, tanker insurance costs, and energy prices.
Japan is suspected of spending nearly $30 billion to defend the yen during the Golden Week holiday, when thin trading makes currency swings more pronounced. A move of that scale signals strong official concern about yen weakness and could force traders to unwind bets against the currency.
Pakistan is mediating between the US and Iran on a short-term deal to end the current fighting. A senior Pakistani official says the priority is a permanent end-of-war declaration, with other disputes to be settled in subsequent direct talks.
Donald Trump is set to meet Xi Jinping in Beijing next week as the U.S. and China seek to stabilise ties strained by trade disputes, Taiwan tensions, and the Iran war. Markets and policymakers will watch for any signals on tariffs, chip export controls, and China's posture toward Iran.
A US fighter jet struck an Iranian tanker in the Gulf of Oman after it tried to breach a US military blockade, US Central Command confirmed. The strike comes as Iran says it is reviewing a one-page, 14-point US proposal to end the war.
China has sentenced former defence ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu to death with a reprieve for corruption, a penalty that is almost always commuted to life imprisonment.
China has sentenced former defence ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu to suspended death sentences, which typically convert to life imprisonment. The verdicts are part of a broader anti-corruption sweep through the upper ranks of the People's Liberation Army.
Iranian state media released video claiming to show wreckage of a downed US drone near the Strait of Hormuz. The incident raises immediate concerns for oil transit security and regional military tensions in one of the world's most critical shipping lanes.
Iranian lawmaker Ebrahim Rezaei dismissed a US peace proposal as "more of an American wish-list than a reality," even as Trump predicted a swift end to the war. The public gap between Washington's optimism and Tehran's skepticism keeps the conflict's timeline and regional stability uncertain.
The UAE has reported incoming missile and drone strikes originating from Iran, according to breaking reports. If confirmed, it would mark a major escalation in Gulf tensions with direct implications for oil markets, regional security, and US military assets in the UAE.
Iran's navy claimed it turned back U.S. warships attempting to enter the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, with state TV reporting a "swift and decisive warning" was issued. The strait carries roughly one-fifth of global oil supply, making any naval confrontation there a direct risk to energy markets.
Iran has blocked tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz since late February, triggering oil supply and price shocks. Iran also claimed it struck a U.S. warship in the strait, a claim the U.S. military has denied.