THE LATEST | CANADANew York Times: President Trump on Thursday announced that he was once again postponing the deadline for Iran to fully open the Strait of Hormuz to shipping or face devastating strikes on its power plants.
Citing what he claimed was progress in talks to end the war, Mr. Trump said he would now hold off for 10 more days before targeting the plants. It was the second time he had postponed his deadline…
Donald Trump extends Iran talks deadline after sell-off on Wall Street
Donald Trump has extended his deadline for a peace deal with Iran by 10 days after mounting worries over the Middle East crisis sent Wall Street equities sliding in their worst day since the conflict began…
Iran war tests Donald Trump’s tolerance for ‘pain’ in oil market
US president appears to make abrupt policy pivots based on swings in crude prices.
Investors are hunting for the “pain point” that prompts Donald Trump to make policy pivots on his war in Iran as the US president’s social media posts ignite severe swings in the oil market…
Israeli military doubts war will topple Iranian regime
Two people familiar with the matter said the prevailing view within military intelligence was that the war had not created the conditions for ousting the Islamic regime in the near future.
One of them, who is familiar with briefings from the Israel Defense Forces’ intelligence directorate Aman, said it appeared that the aerial campaign had yet to measurably erode the Iranian regime’s hold on power since the US and Israel launched the war on February 28…
Pentagon Weighs Sending 10,000 More Ground Troops to the Middle East
The White House and the Pentagon are considering sending at least 10,000 additional combat troops to the Middle East in the coming days, according to a senior U.S. defense official.
Why it matters: If the Trump administration decides to send extra troops, it will significantly increase the number of combat soldiers the U.S. has in the region. It is another signal that a U.S. ground operation in Iran is being seriously prepared…
Iran Hasn’t Requested Pause on Energy-Site Strikes, Mediators Say
President Trump said earlier Thursday he was pausing strikes on Iran’s energy sector for 10 more days, to April 6, so peace negotiations can take place. Trump’s previous deadline was Friday. He said the extension was at Iran’s request.
Iranian officials have told the mediators that they are interested in negotiations but the country’s leadership is yet to weigh in and give a final decision, the mediators said…
Trump faces new oil shock threat as Iran eyes second strait
An Iranian military official told the country’s semiofficial news agency Saturday that if the U.S. and Israel attack more of the country’s energy infrastructure, Iran would escalate “insecurity in other straits, including the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea.”
The strait, hundreds of miles from the Strait of Hormuz, at Yemen’s southwestern tip, is a pathway for ships carrying about 10 percent of the world’s oil and natural gas supplies…
Iran Acts as Gatekeeper of Hormuz as War Drags On
Iran has allowed a small number of vessels to pass, but that won’t alleviate pressure or risk for the shipping industry and energy markets any time soon…
Bessent Says Hormuz Ships Insurance Program to Start Soon
Although the program was first unveiled March 3, there’s no evidence that any vessels benefiting from the initiative have passed through the strait, a chokepoint for roughly a fifth of global oil and gas flows…
Don’t Let Iran’s Hostage-Takers Win
Decapitation strikes have scrambled Iran’s chain of command, and this one is important preparation for any U.S. action to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. Marines will also soon be in theater, with some 2,000 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne to follow. This could get much worse for Iran’s regime.
Iran’s rulers know this, but they are betting that energy-market turmoil will lead Mr. Trump to end the war before U.S. objectives are fully met. The President has shown himself to be sensitive to oil and gas prices, and his rhetoric about the war already being won encourages the belief that it will end any day now. On Thursday he extended his reprieve for Iran’s energy sites again to April 6. These may be moves to calm investors, but the cost is reflected in continuing Iranian intransigence…
Fed’s Cook Says Inflation Is More at Risk Than Jobs Due to War
Three Fed officials expressed growing anxiety over the US economic outlook due to the war in the Middle East, with one policymaker saying the spike in oil prices had shifted the balance of risks for now, leaving inflation as a bigger concern than employment.
Fed Governor Lisa Cook said the inflation risk is greater right now as a result of the Iran war, and that the labor market is in balance, but precariously so.
Fed officials, including Michael Barr and Philip Jefferson, said they preferred to keep rates on hold as they assessed how the war might affect inflation and growth, with Barr highlighting concerns that the impact of tariffs on inflation might continue beyond this year…
Fertiliser price surge due to Iran war coincides with US planting season
US farmers are being hit by an “unbearable” surge in fertiliser and fuel costs driven by the Iran conflict as President Donald Trump prepares to meet with groups from the critical political constituency on Friday…
‘I have no idea what they are trying to do’: Allies say Trump sends mixed signals on Iran
The mixed signals are sparking whiplash among America’s partners in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, according to eight diplomats from these regions, all granted anonymity to speak about sensitive diplomacy.
Their economies are suffering from what Trump has called an “excursion” — in some cases they are hurting more than the U.S. economy. And they’re frustrated that Trump and his aides aren’t clueing them in on their plans for ending the crisis…
What has happened to Iran’s top-tier missiles?
Analysts say it is among a handful of very advanced missiles that have largely sat out the war this far: possibly because they have been destroyed, possibly because they are not yet operational, or possibly because they will only be used when adversaries run short of interceptors…
Europeans Worry Russia Is Preparing to Deliver Drones to Iran
European allies are increasingly concerned that Russia is preparing to deliver advanced drones to Iran for use in the war with the United States and Israel.
Russia and Iran grew closer during Russia’s continuing invasion of Ukraine. The Russians have used Iranian drones extensively in Ukraine, and the two countries have cooperated in dodging Western sanctions to sell oil abroad…
More:
How the Iran War Compares With Past Market Shocks, in Charts
U.S. and Israel Have Pounded—but Not Eliminated—Iran’s Missile Threat