Iran

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US May Lift Sanctions on Iranian Oil at Sea

Bessent says it's a wise move, but critics are struggling to understand the strategy

(Newser) - The Trump administration is weighing an unusual step amid the Iran war: lifting sanctions on Iranian oil already on ships at sea. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Fox News Thursday that the US is preparing to lift sanctions on roughly 140 million barrels of Iranian oil currently at sea...

Saudi Tells Iran to Wise Up, or Else
Saudi Tells
Iran to Wise
Up, or Else
Mar 19, 2026 11:51 AM CDT

Saudi Tells Iran to Wise Up, or Else

Foreign minister signals retaliation for missile barrages could come at any time

(Newser) - Saudi Arabia's top diplomat is signaling his country's tolerance for Iran's strikes is wearing thin. Hours after two barrages of ballistic missiles were shot down over Riyadh, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said Thursday the kingdom "will not shy away" from defending its territory and...

Report: Human Error, Not AI, Blamed in Iran School Strike

Human intelligence failures overlooked clear signs that target was a school

(Newser) - Critics may have been too quick to blame artificial intelligence for the US missile strike that killed more than 150 people at an elementary school in Iran. Former military officials and others familiar with the operation tell Semafor the catastrophe at Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary was caused not by a rogue...

Kristof: How Trump Can Get Out of This War
Kristof: How Trump
Can Get Out of This War
OPINION
Mar 19, 2026 7:33 AM CDT

Kristof: How Trump Can Get Out of This War

Columnist urges him to declare victory, then open secret talks with Tehran

(Newser) - Nicholas Kristof sees the Iran war as a major miscalculation by President Trump, and he warns in a New York Times opinion piece that things could get far worse if Trump doubles down instead of finding a way out. What to do? "His least-bad option, I believe, is to...

Trump Issues New Threat to Iran as Oil Prices Jump

President warns he will blow up entire Iranian gas field if latest strikes continue

(Newser) - Oil prices briefly hit $119 a barrel over a potentially volatile new phase of the Iran war, reports CNBC . The chain of events began Wednesday when Israel launched an attack on Iran's portion of the massive South Pars gas field, which also runs into Qatar. Iran responded with retaliatory...

Drones Seen Over DC Base Housing Rubio, Hegseth

Sightings spur heightened security at Fort McNair and beyond

(Newser) - Unidentified drones recently appeared over the DC Army base where Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth live, triggering heightened security talks and fresh concern about targeting by Iran, according to multiple people briefed on the incident who talked to the Washington Post . The aircraft were spotted...

China Tries to Hold Off on Oil Reserves 'for as Long as It Can'

But as Mideast conflict drags on, nation may not have a choice but to tap into its supply

(Newser) - China may soon be leaning on a different kind of oil lifeline. Energy consultancy FGE says Beijing is nearing the point where it will let refineries tap into the country's large commercial crude reserves as Middle East tensions disrupt flows, especially through the Strait of Hormuz, reports Bloomberg . The...

Senators Ask Gabbard Tough Questions on Iran War

Her testimony clashes with Trump's rationale for Iran war

(Newser) - Tulsi Gabbard told senators Wednesday that Iran's rulers are battered but still standing, and her own words quickly put her in the crosshairs. The director of national intelligence testified to the Senate Intelligence Committee that Tehran's regime "appears to be intact but largely degraded" after nearly three...

Energy Prices Jump After Major Gas Field in Iran Is Hit

Oil nears $110 a barrel following strike on the South Pars site, a major natural gas reserve

(Newser) - Oil markets jolted higher Tuesday after Iran accused Israel of striking a vital gas field, and Tehran responded by putting rival Gulf energy sites on notice. Brent crude jumped more than 6% to just under $110 a barrel, and the price of natural gas rose by about 6% as traders...

Trump Temporarily Freezes Jones Act to Ease Fuel Costs

Waiver greenlit by president allows foreign tankers to move US fuel, related cargo domestically

(Newser) - President Trump is temporarily setting aside a 100-year-old shipping rule as his administration scrambles to curb rising fuel costs tied to the war in Iran. The White House on Wednesday approved a 60-day waiver of the Jones Act, a 1920 law that normally requires goods moving between US ports to...

'Decapitation' Strategy in Iran Has Potential to Backfire

Israeli campaign keeps picking off top Iranian leaders, but the bench looks deep for now

(Newser) - First came Khamenei . And in the weeks since, Israel has tracked down and killed other top Iranian officials, with more big names falling this week . This "decapitation" strategy is meant to destabilize and demoralize the remaining leadership in Iran, and possibly encourage ordinary Iranians to revolt. Whether it will...

Rising Diesel Prices Should Concern All, Not Just Truckers

Spiking transport costs threaten to push core inflation even higher

(Newser) - Five-dollar diesel isn't just a headache for truckers—it's a fresh problem for inflation. The average price of a gallon of diesel hit $5.07 on Wednesday, AAA reports, up from $3.65 a month ago. That's a jump of about 39%, outpacing the recent surge in...

State Department Orders Security Reviews at All US Embassies

Order follows Iran strikes and recent attacks on regional US missions

(Newser) - US embassies around the globe have been told to give their security a fresh once-over, stat. In a cable reviewed by NBC News and the Washington Post and signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Undersecretary of Management Jason Evans ordered posts to conduct "immediate" reviews, citing unrest in...

Iran Confirms Deaths of Top Security Chiefs

Ari Larijani had 'a lot of blood on his hands,' Trump says

(Newser) - Iran says two senior figures at the top of its power structure are dead after Israeli strikes near Tehran , marking one of the most severe hits to its leadership since the war began. State media confirmed the deaths of Ali Larijani, who led the Supreme National Security Council and briefly...

Lindsey Graham: I've Never Heard Trump So Angry

President continues to rail against allies' reluctance to join war against Iran

(Newser) - After being largely rebuffed in his request for allies' help against Iran, President Trump issued an all-caps retort on Truth Social Tuesday: "WE DO NOT NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE!" Trump amplified remarks he made on Monday , asserting that the US is just fine working only with Israel,...

Israel Calls for Uprising in Iran, but Fears a 'Slaughter'

Leaked US cable reveals Israeli doubts about Iran uprising's chances, reports Washington Post

(Newser) - Israeli leaders are publicly calling for Iranians to rise up against their government while privately warning Washington that demonstrators would be massacred if they did, per a US diplomatic cable obtained by the Washington Post . The cable, sent from the US Embassy in Jerusalem, says senior Israeli officials told American...

He Reported on Iran Missile Strike. Then the Threats Came

Betting-market dispute over March 10 attack fuels harassment against Times of Israel journalist

(Newser) - A routine live-blog entry about an Iranian missile strike has turned into something far stranger for Times of Israel military correspondent Emanuel Fabian: a dayslong pressure campaign from online bettors who allegedly stood to lose big if he didn't tweak a key detail. In a first-person account , Fabian describes...

Iran Doesn't Want to Play Its World Cup Matches in US

Nation's Mexico embassy says it's in talks with FIFA to try to move those games due to safety fears

(Newser) - Iran's Embassy in Mexico on Tuesday said the country is negotiating with FIFA to move Iran's World Cup matches from the US. It was unclear whether such talks are actually happening with FIFA, which didn't immediately respond to requests for comment. The embassy posted a statement attributed...

Sri Lanka Makes Every Wednesday a Holiday

A 4-day workweek has been introduced in Sri Lanka as fuel shortages loom amid Gulf conflict

(Newser) - Sri Lanka just gave workers a midweek day off, though it's not for fun. The government has announced that every Wednesday is now a public holiday, in an attempt to cut fuel use as it braces for possible shortages linked to the war involving the US, Israel, and Iran,...

Military Shares American Toll of 'Operation Epic Fury'

Most injuries are being described as minor

(Newser) - American forces have taken significant hits in the conflict with Iran , according to a new US military tally. US Central Command says about 200 US service members have been wounded since the launch of "Operation Epic Fury," with spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins noting most injuries were minor and...

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