Trump warns Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz or face destruction

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran kept up its attacks on Israel and Persian Gulf neighbors on Wednesday as airstrikes pounded Tehran and U.S. President Donald Trump again made contradictory statements about whether he was ready to wind down the war or escalate it. Trump struck a belligerent tone Wednesday in a Truth Social … Read more

Trump lashes out at allies as Iran war drives fuel prices higher

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — President Donald Trump expressed frustration Tuesday with allies who have been unwilling to do more to support the U.S. war effort, telling them to “go get your own oil” as the conflict with Iran and its closure of the Strait of Hormuz sent average U.S. gas prices past $4 … Read more

Gulf allies privately make the case to Trump to keep fighting Iran

WASHINGTON (AP) — Gulf allies of the United States, led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, are urging President Donald Trump to continue prosecuting the war against Iran, arguing that Tehran hasn’t been weakened enough by the monthlong U.S.-led bombing campaign, according to U.S., Gulf and Israeli officials. After private grumbling at the … Read more

Philippine president declares national energy emergency

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday declared a state of national energy emergency to respond to the impact of the Middle East war, which his administration said posed “an imminent danger of a critically low energy supply.” Under the declaration, which will initially last for a year, Marcos will lead … Read more

Iran threatens to attack Mideast electrical plants powering US bases

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran warned Monday it will strike electrical plants across the Middle East if U.S. President Donald Trump follows through on his threat to bomb power stations in the Islamic Republic. The threat by Tehran puts at risk both electrical supplies and water in the Gulf Arab states, particularly as … Read more

Iran’s supreme leader vows to keep up attacks as oil prices surge

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s secretive new supreme leader vowed Thursday to keep up attacks on Gulf Arab countries and use the effective closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz as leverage against the United States and Israel. It was his first public statement since he succeeded his father, who was killed in … Read more

Bahrain says Iran hit a desalination plant, stoking fears of attacks on civilian sites

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Bahrain accused Iran of striking a desalination plant on Sunday, raising fears civilian infrastructure may become fair game in a nine-day-old war, as Iran’s president vowed to expand its attacks on American targets across the region in the face of intense U.S. and Israeli airstrikes. A late-night Israeli strike … Read more

Trump urges Latin American leaders to use military action against cartels

DORAL, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump said Saturday that the United States and Latin American countries are banding together to combat violent cartels as his administration looks to demonstrate it remains committed to sharpening U.S. foreign policy focus on the Western Hemisphere even while dealing with five-alarm crises around the globe. Trump encouraged regional … Read more

Iran’s president defies US demands while apologizing for strikes on neighbors

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s president apologized Saturday for attacks on “neighboring countries” even as its missiles and drones flew toward Gulf Arab states and U.S. President Donald Trump threatened that the country would be “hit very hard.” President Masoud Pezeshkian, a member of the three-man leadership council overseeing Iran since Supreme Leader … Read more

Sri Lanka brings Iranian sailors ashore after ship sought help

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka began transferring more than 200 sailors from an Iranian vessel to shore Friday after the ship sought assistance while anchored outside the country’s waters, as tensions mounted in the Indian Ocean following the sinking of an Iranian warship by a U.S. submarine. Sri Lankan navy spokesperson Cmdr. Buddhika … Read more