US foreign policy

Trump administration to lobby allies to support ‘trade over aid’ push, cable shows

FILE PHOTO: A container ship passes under the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, in San Francisco, California, U.S., April 9, 2026. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/ File Photo

Person Of The Moment

Pakistan General Asim Munir’s kite takes flight and could soar even higher

US Vice President JD Vance (L) talks to Pakistan's Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshall Asim Munir (R) and Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar (C) before boarding Air Force Two after attending talks on Iran in Islamabad on April 12, 2026. Iran and the United States failed to reach an agreement to end the war in the Middle East, US Vice President JD Vance said April 12 after marathon talks in Islamabad, adding that he was leaving negotiations after giving Tehran the "final and best offer". (Photo by Jacquelyn MARTIN / POOL / AFP)

Arab Gulf states consider Plan B as Iran war batters US-based security strategy

A billboard in Tehran's Enqelab Square asserts Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz - a stranglehold which would have dire implications for its Arab Gulf neighbours, says the writer.

News analysis

Is it realistic for the US Navy to counter-block Iran’s Hormuz Strait blockade?

A vessel at the Strait of Hormuz, off the coast of Oman, on April 12. The US is aiming to throttle all Iranian seaborne trade with its blockade.

News analysis

Huge strategic defeat for the US? There is now a two-week ceasefire but hard questions remain

A protest outside the White House on April 7 against military action in Iran after US President Donald Trump said he had agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran, before his deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump learns that not everyone has a price

Donald Trump's foreign policy struggles can be traced to a blind spot - people who believe in ideals, says the writer.

A face-saving chance for Trump to pause the war on Iran

An anti-US banner on display in Tehran. The China guarantee is possibly the best exit opportunity for Mr Trump to extricate himself from the quagmire, says the writer.

Iran could emerge from the war stronger and more dangerous

Iran's neighbours are horrified that Tehran may emerge from the war with practical control over Gulf energy exports and a new stream of income from tolls on ships using the Strait of Hormuz, says the writer.

What the Iran war teaches America’s adversaries

Despite immense American firepower, cheap Iranian drones have continued to do damage, as in this attack near Eshtaol, Israel on March 28.

Trump’s Armageddon-Taco shuffle

US President Donald Trump speaking to the media in Florida on March 23.

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MDDI (P) 046/10/2025. Published by SPH Media Limited, Co. Regn. No.202120748H. Copyright © 2026 SPH Media Limited. All rights reserved.