Asia Pacific – War Watch

Asia Pacific | Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Defence policy | Donald Trump | Donald Tusk | Gaza | Germany | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Japan | Lee Jae-myung | Middle East and north Africa | Nato | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | Russia | Sanae Takaichi | US news | World news

The Guardian view on Germany, Japan and the end of the postwar order: as US alliances crumble, a new world emerges | Editorial
ByEditorial April 24, 2026

Developments in Berlin and Tokyo show how far the strategic environment has shifted in response to authoritarian threat and American unpredictabilityWhen Donald Trump hosted Sanae Takaichi, the Japanese prime minister, last month, he could not resist a…

Read More The Guardian view on Germany, Japan and the end of the postwar order: as US alliances crumble, a new world emerges | Editorial
Asia Pacific | Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | China | Donald Trump | Gaza | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | US news | US-Israel war on Iran | World news

Who can claim victory if Iran ceasefire holds? An early winner is China
ByAmy Hawkins in Beijing April 9, 2026

Beijing’s powerbrokers are credited with winning Iran over, although one analyst says they were ‘pushing an open door’Middle East crisis – live updatesAs the world struggles to make sense of what, if anything, was achieved by the ceasefire deal announc…

Read More Who can claim victory if Iran ceasefire holds? An early winner is China
Asia Pacific | Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | China | Donald Trump | Gaza | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Middle East peace talks | Nuclear weapons | Pakistan | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | South and central Asia | World news

Pakistan and China propose five-part peace plan for Middle East
ByHannah Ellis-Petersen in Delhi and Shah Meer Baloch in Islamabad March 31, 2026

Foreign ministers Ishaq Dar and Wang Yi met in Beijing as Pakistan pushes for peacemaker roleMiddle East crisis – live updatesPakistan and China have released a joint five-part proposal for peace in the Middle East, after Pakistan’s foreign minister fl…

Read More Pakistan and China propose five-part peace plan for Middle East
Asia Pacific | Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | China | Donald Trump | Gaza | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Oil | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | US-Israel war on Iran | World news

China’s ‘teapot’ oil refineries keep economy brewing – but surging crude prices leave them strained
ByAmy Hawkins in Weifang March 30, 2026

The factories, which buy cheap crude and turn it into fuel, are struggling as higher oil prices threaten their razor-sharp margins The towns that are the bulwark of China’s energy security can, at a moment of global crisis, appear deceptively quiet. Tr…

Read More China’s ‘teapot’ oil refineries keep economy brewing – but surging crude prices leave them strained
Asia Pacific | Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | China | Donald Trump | Gaza | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | JD Vance | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | US foreign policy | US news | World news | Xi Jinping

Trump seeks to delay China summit as Vance denies ‘wedge’ over Iran war
ByRobert Tait in Washington March 16, 2026

Pair attempt to strike united front amid reports vice-president skeptical over US-Israeli attack on IranDonald Trump revealed that he had asked China to delay his forthcoming visit to Beijing while the war with Iran was continuing, as he attempted to s…

Read More Trump seeks to delay China summit as Vance denies ‘wedge’ over Iran war
Asia Pacific | Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Business | China | Commodities | Donald Trump | Energy industry | Fossil fuels | Gaza | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Oil | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | UK news | US news | US-Israel war on Iran | World news

If oil price shocks weren’t bad enough, Trump’s war could have other unintended consequences | Adam Hanieh
ByAdam Hanieh March 12, 2026

China consumes around 90% of Iran’s oil exports, so could be forced to rely on alternative suppliers – particularly RussiaWith the US-Israeli war against Iran in its second week, energy markets are in turmoil. On Thursday, the price of Brent Crude Oil …

Read More If oil price shocks weren’t bad enough, Trump’s war could have other unintended consequences | Adam Hanieh
Asia Pacific | Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Donald Trump | Gaza | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | South Korea | US foreign policy | US military | US-Israel war on Iran

Hasty redeployment of US missiles from South Korea to Middle East leaves Seoul rattled
ByJustin McCurry in Tokyo March 11, 2026

South Korea’s president has sought to reassure the public that the country is able to deter threats from the NorthIt has been almost a decade since the sleepy South Korean village of Seongju was transformed overnight into a key location in the country’…

Read More Hasty redeployment of US missiles from South Korea to Middle East leaves Seoul rattled
Asia Pacific | Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Business | Commodities | Donald Trump | Gaza | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Oil | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | Strait of Hormuz | Thailand | Trump administration | US news | US-Israel war on Iran | World news

Three merchant ships struck as tensions rise in Hormuz strait amid Iran war
ByMark Saunokonoko and agencies March 11, 2026March 11, 2026

Crew of Thai-registered bulk carrier forced to flee fire, as US says it has destroyed 16 Iranian mine-laying vesselsMiddle East crisis live – latest updatesThree merchant ships have been struck in and around the strait of Hormuz, including a Thai regis…

Read More Three merchant ships struck as tensions rise in Hormuz strait amid Iran war
Asia Pacific | Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Blogging | China | Cybercrime | Digital media | Donald Trump | Europe | Gaza | Internet | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Media | Middle East and north Africa | Newspapers & magazines | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | Politics | Russia | Spam | Technology | UK news | World news | X

X suspends 800m accounts in one year amid ‘massive’ scale of manipulation attempts
ByDan Milmo Global technology editor March 9, 2026

Social media company tells MPs of continual fight against state-backed efforts, with Russia being most prolificElon Musk’s X said it had suspended 800m accounts over a 12-month period as it fights the “massive” scale of attempts to manipulate the platf…

Read More X suspends 800m accounts in one year amid ‘massive’ scale of manipulation attempts
Asia Pacific | Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Business | Commodities | Donald Trump | Economics | Energy industry | Gas | Gaza | Global economy | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Oil | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | South Korea | Stock markets | Supply chain crisis | US-Israel war on Iran | World news

Oil price continues to rise amid Middle East crisis but stock markets rebound across Asia
ByJulia Kollewe March 5, 2026

Reports of attack on US registered tanker in Gulf lifts crude by 3% to $84 a barrel as gas price also starts to climbBusiness live – latest updatesMiddle East crisis – live updatesStock markets have rebounded in Asia after days of heavy losses driven b…

Read More Oil price continues to rise amid Middle East crisis but stock markets rebound across Asia