Middle East tensions
Trump extends Iran deadline by 10 days, claims talks ‘going very well’
After the price of oil surged and share markets dived amid fears the conflict and closure of the Strait of Hormuz may continue for weeks, Trump said he was “pausing the period of Energy Plant destruction” until April 6.
- Michael Koziol
Latest
- Updated
- Middle East at war
Iran rejects ceasefire plan as more US troops head to the Middle East
On another day of mixed signals from the US president, analysts are far from convinced that a peace deal between the US and Iran is achievable.
- Michael Koziol
Indie retailers pushed to back of queue in fuel supply squeeze
Independent fuel retailers are struggling to secure reliable supplies of petrol and diesel, causing more than 200 local outages at Victorian service stations.
- Adam Carey and Elias Visontay
Stations run dry and reports of fuel thefts rise amid surge in demand
Petrol stations are temporarily running out of fuel and petrol retailers are reporting an increase in thefts as demand and fuel prices soar in tandem.
- Adam Carey
- Analysis
- Middle East at war
In a contest between Trump and Tehran, it’s tough to know who to believe
Faced with a choice between a significant escalation (on a self-imposed deadline) or an off-ramp, Trump opted for the latter. He may yet be forced into changing tack again.
- Michael Koziol
- Opinion
- Middle East at war
Trump has no idea what he’s doing. Now his hubris has put the world on edge
The evidence is piling up – Trump has catastrophically miscalculated this war with Iran, just as Putin did with Ukraine.
- Peter Hartcher
‘It feels very like COVID’: Melburnians park plans for European summer
Jet fuel prices have doubled within a fortnight, leading many Melburnians to alter or pause plans for international travel as airfares surge.
- Adam Carey
- Opinion
- Middle East at war
Trump could make the energy disaster worse if he plays his last card
The US president is not someone known for making rational moves, and he has one last card to play that could deepen the energy nightmare.
- Ambrose Evans-Pritchard
Journalist reporting in Lebanon almost hit by missile
Dramatic footage has emerged of the moment a journalist, working for Russian state broadcaster RT, was wounded in an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon.
- Tony Wright’s Column
- Donald Trump
Petrol queues and rationing: How Trump and his secretary of war ignored the lessons of history
The oil shocks of the 1970s had once taught presidents and military chiefs to observe some caution in the Middle East.
- Tony Wright