THE LATEST | CANADANew York Times: An Iranian strike injured 12 U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia, two of them seriously, on the Prince Sultan Air Base, two U.S. officials, who were not authorized to speak publicly, said on Friday.
The combined missile and drone attack amounted to one of the most serious breaches of American air defenses in the course of the monthlong war with Iran. At least two KC-135 aerial refueling planes also suffered significant damage in the attack…
Gulf Countries’ Frustration With the US Grows as War Wears On
Gulf countries are privately questioning American security guarantees and expressing concern about the Trump administration’s apparent lack of strategy in the Iran war.
Many officials are questioning US President Donald Trump’s rationale, commitment and aims for the war, and the value of hosting American bases that have made their countries targets.
Gulf states fear Trump will cut a deal with Tehran that doesn’t curb its production of ballistic missiles or support for proxy militant groups, leaving them to deal with an embittered Iran…
UAE pushes for international force to reopen Hormuz
The United Arab Emirates has told allies that it would participate in a multinational maritime task force intended to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as it lobbies to form a coalition to ensure shipping is able to pass through the vital Gulf waterway…
Trump Presses Saudis to Recognize Israel as He Defends Iran War
President Donald Trump appealed for Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords against the backdrop of the US and Israel’s conflict with Iran in an address at an investment forum linked to the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund.
“The Middle East will be transformed, and the future of that region is never, I don’t think it’s ever looked brighter,” Trump said Friday at the Future Investment Initiative Priority summit in Miami. “We did the Abraham Accords. I hope you’re going to be getting into the Abraham Accords finally.”…
Trump ratchets up attacks on NATO, says U.S. no longer needs alliance
The United States may stop promising to defend its NATO allies should they come under attack, President Donald Trump said Friday, escalating his verbal barrage against the alliance as his frustration grows that European leaders have not significantly contributed to his war against Iran.
“NATO just wasn’t there” when he asked for help with the Iran war, Trump told a Miami Beach investment conference sponsored by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund. That, he said, was “a tremendous mistake” by the Europeans…
U.S. uses hundreds of Tomahawk missiles on Iran, alarming some at Pentagon
The U.S. military has fired more than 850 Tomahawk cruise missiles in four weeks of war with Iran, burning through the precision weapons at a rate that has alarmed some Pentagon officials and prompted internal discussions about how to make more available, said people familiar with the matter…
US officials tell allies Iran war could delay Ukraine weapons shipments
The State Department has told allies that deliveries of munitions — especially Patriot air defense interceptors — could get disrupted, according to three European officials familiar with the talks. Secretary of State Marco Rubio planned to speak about this with leaders at the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting near Paris on Friday, two of the officials said…
Israel Is Rationing Its Best Interceptors—and Iran’s Missiles Are Getting Through
With supplies under pressure as the war drags on, the country is turning to upgraded versions of less capable munitions to fill the gap.
The decision to use less-capable munitions reflects the pressure militaries across the region are under as they burn through expensive, difficult-to-manufacture weapons to fend off attacks from Iran’s mass-produced missiles and drones…
Former Trump Iran adviser says war is headed for escalation
In his piece for Foreign Policy published Feb. 24, Swanson wrote that Iran would not capitulate after a bombing campaign, but rather escalate and “target global oil flows and international shipping, sending energy prices up and creating a serious political liability for Trump.” And indeed, Iran has made scattershot attacks on energy targets and others across the region, as well as throttling passage through the Strait of Hormuz by threatening attacks on ships.
In an interview with POLITICO this week, Swanson predicted that the Trump administration’s negotiations with Iran will not go well because both sides are “irrationally confident” in their positions. Neither side seems willing to find an offramp at this point, he said…
Global markets recoil as Marco Rubio warns war in Iran could stretch for weeks
He told reporters that US military operations would end “in a matter of weeks, not months” — possibly longer than the “four to six weeks” that Trump has said his administration expected the offensive to last. Speaking privately to G7 foreign ministers, America’s top diplomat said the conflict could carry on for an additional two to four weeks, according to people familiar with his comments…
Wall Street Reels as Iran War Shatters Its Portfolio Defenses
Market declines sparked by the Iran war are morphing into a full-blown rout across Wall Street, with the Nasdaq 100 and S&P 500 falling and bonds and Bitcoin also declining.
Concern about the war’s impact on spending and inflation expectations are climbing, and central bankers are contemplating hikes, making the picture bleak for investors.
The war has provided a vivid proof that traditional defensive assets such as bonds, gold, volatility trades, and cryptocurrency can all misfire at once, leaving investors with limited options for protection…
Stocks and bonds slump in tandem as Iran shock leaves investors ‘nowhere to hide’
The combined moves have put a traditional “60-40” portfolio of equities and bonds on track for the worst month since September 2022, when a previous cycle of global interest rate rises hammered markets. Even gold has tumbled as investors rush to liquidate previously winning trades, underscoring a lack of safe havens in financial markets.
“What’s working for investors? Nothing,” said Raphaël Thuin, head of capital markets strategies at Tikehau Capital. “It’s really one of the worst set-ups you can think of. It’s been a very difficult few weeks to manage the market.” …
Gulf officials seek to calm investors as war rattles confidence
Gulf officials had a clear line for the US business community gathered in Miami this week at a Saudi Arabia-backed investment conference: stay calm and keep investing in the region…
What an Influx of 17,000 U.S. Troops Could Mean for the Iran War
If President Trump gives the go-ahead, the U.S. could soon have more than 17,000 ground troops on Iran’s doorstep. That is far short of what would be needed for a full-scale invasion, but they could seize strategic territory on the mainland, secure Tehran’s uranium stockpiles or take an island…
How Iran is seeking to cash in on the Strait of Hormuz
Iran is working to establish a system of approved passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz, a tightening of control over the crucial waterway that Tehran suggests could extend beyond its war with the US and Israel…
U.S. Antitank Mines Discovered in Neighborhood in Iran
Photos and video verified by The New York Times show mines dispensed by cluster bombs in a village a few miles from a missile site…
At CPAC, the ‘America First’ Crowd Ponders Giving War a Chance
The Conservative Political Action Conference has been an America First gathering for years, but with President Trump pursuing war in Iran, organizers have tried to make a shift, with mixed results…
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