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August 21, 2026

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Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian holds a press conference on Aug. 19, 2026.

China slams Trump over economic war on Iran: What to know

China’s once significant oil imports from Iran have been impacted by the war in the region and increasing US sanctions.

King Abdullah II arrives in Beijing, Aug. 20, 2026. Photo from Xinhua/Chen Yehua.

Explainer

King Abdullah visits China as region hedges against US unpredictability

With no end in sight to the war in Iran and an unchecked Israeli policy across the region, the kingdom is hedging against future uncertainty and a less predictable US policy.

Iranians drive past an anti-US billboard at Enghelab Square in central Tehran, Aug. 3, 2026.

Trump’s Iran ‘economic D-Day’ threat sends oil prices above $94

In a Truth Social post, the president threatened that any country that provides a financial lifeline to Iran will face "tremendous economic consequences."

Latest News

US sanctions International Criminal Court president, top lawyer

Analysis

Netanyahu yields to Trump on Gaza, betting Hamas won’t disarm

Ohad Zwigenberg / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

Explainer

What US sanctions on Syria remain as Shibani, Barrack hold talks?

RAMI AL SAYED/AFP via Getty Images

Adam Lucente

News and Business Correspondent

In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change

Elizabeth Hagedorn

Diplomatic Correspondent

In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights

Jared Szuba

Defense and Security Correspondent

In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military

Joyce Karam

Editor-in-Chief

Rosaleen Carroll

News Reporter and Supporting Editor

In Washington, DC, US, reporting on the Middle East

Paul J. Saunders

In Washington, DC, reporting on Russia in the Middle East

US hits deadlock in Lebanon-Israel border mediation

Renewed tension over the demarcation of the maritime border between Israel and Lebanon has the United States engaged in shuttle diplomacy between the countries.

Conference for Iraq draws investors instead of donors

The reported success — and failure — of a fundraising effort for Iraq could become a political football in the May general elections.

Kurdish Peshmerga fighters gather north of Kirkuk, Iraq October 19, 2017. REUTERS/Ako Rasheed - RC1244BF1E20

Pentagon stops budgeting for peshmerga salaries

The Pentagon’s fiscal year 2019 budget doesn’t specifically dedicate payments for Iraq’s Kurdish fighting force after it stepped back from the front lines of the fight against the Islamic State.

Despite progress on paper, Turkey, US still leagues apart

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s visit may have averted a major clash, but the volatile situation in Syria will ensure that ties between Ankara and Washington remain fragile.

WASHINGTON - FEBRUARY 13: John Hannah, Vice President Dick Cheney 's national security adviser, leaves U.S. Federal Court after testifying in the I. Lewis 'Scooter' Libby perjury trial February 13, 2007 in Washington, DC. Hannah testified that Libby was a very busy, forgetful manager at the White House. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Former Cheney aide will not take Syria envoy post

John Hannah, the national security adviser to former Vice President Dick Cheney, has decided to decline the post as the US administration casts about for heavyweight diplomats.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) shakes hands with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia February 12, 2018. REUTERS/Maxim Shipenkov/Pool - UP1EE2C1ID90J

Trump takes center stage in Abbas-Putin talks

While the Russian president expressed a desire to play a role in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, he made it clear that Washington remains a key party in future talks.

U.S. President Donald Trump declares his opposition to domestic violence during a working session regarding the Opportunity Zones provided by tax reform in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, U.S., February 14, 2018. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts - RC11BECC88B0

What Trump needs to know about Iranians

US President Donald Trump must take note of the erosion in goodwill toward the United States among Iranians before it is too late.

Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army fighter stands near stacked sandbags in Eastern Afrin, Syria, February 13, 2018. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi - RC1A6D3C0CA0

Turkey’s assault adds to 'climate of repression and decline' in northern Syria

Iran tries to broker deal between Ankara and Damascus to contain fighting over Syrian Kurds.

US seeks to double AK-47 supply to Syrian partners

The Pentagon wants more firepower to help the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces secure territory seized from the Islamic State.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani together with his counterparts Russia's Vladimir Putin and Turkey's Tayyip Erdogan attend a joint news conference following their meeting in Sochi, Russia November 22, 2017. Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC11C14BA4C0

Afrin puts Turkish-Iranian-Russian mistrust on full display

More than anything, the situation in Afrin puts on full display the deep and lingering mistrust between Iran, Turkey and Russia.

Tillerson deviates from Trump's position on Palestinian refugee agency

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson supports developing a sustainable funding mechanism for UNRWA, but it is unclear whether he can convince anyone else in the Trump administration of such an approach.

A Palestinian boy who lives in a container as a temporary replacement for his house that was destroyed in the 2014 war, looks out on a rainy day in Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip December 15, 2016. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem - RC1DAD9F6BE0

Will Israel, Qatar cooperate to save Gaza?

US Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt called for Israel and Qatar to cooperate in order to save the Gaza Strip from a humanitarian crisis.