The move reversed earlier efforts to impose “maximum pressure” on Iran and reflected how little success the Trump administration has had in calming global markets.
From the start, it’s meant too many things. It’s time to move on. BY NADINE EPSTEIN
Has Israel Said Shalom to ‘Shalom
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The Iran Diaries
This article explores the history and current state of Iran through the lens of the editor’s father’s 2002 travel diary. It provides context for the anti-regime protests of 2026 and the enduring complexities of Iranian society. by Sarah Breger
The price of oil eased only slightly after the Trump administration sought to calm markets. A drone attack caused fires at a Kuwaiti oil refinery for a second day.
During her first visit to the White House, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi drew praise from President Trump. The war in the Middle East will test their relationship.
As fighting in the Middle East entered its third week, focus has shifted to Tehran’s closure of a key maritime passage, and the potentially huge global economic impact.
For our big story this week, Jillian Ambrose explains how the war in Iran has effectively blocked the Gulf states from exporting a fifth of the world’s oil supply through the strait of Hormuz. Peter Beaumont sets out the significance of the route and the possible options to counter the blockade, while Hannah Ellis-Petersen reports on the building anger and resentment in the region over being dragged into a war they did not start and had diplomatically tried to prevent.
Peter also looks at “the escalation trap” that lies ahead for both sides in the conflict, and we have on-the-ground reports from Jason Burke in northern Israel and William Christou in southern Lebanon, as well as a stark account of day-to-day life from inside Tehran.
Spotlight | ‘Extraordinary cruelty’ Kaamil Ahmed and Alex Clark examine the evidence that starvation is being used as a weapon of war in Sudan
Technology | Star fruit As Apple reaches its half-century, Chris Stokel-Walker rounds up its biggest triumphs and flops
Feature | Feminism’s not dead! In a stirring riposte to all those who have declared the death of the women’s movement, Rebecca Solnit outlines the advances that have been made and argues it’s no time to give up the fight
Opinion | The British right’s Maga obsession UK conservatives were once hostile to the US, but now are keen to emphasise loyalty to Trump above all else, writesKojo Koram
Culture | One win after another After 11 nominations without a single win, film-maker Paul Thomas Anderson deservedly struck gold at the Oscars with One Battle After Another, says Xan Brooks
Oil and natural gas prices climbed and European gas prices surged as tit-for-tat attacks on energy infrastructure in the Persian Gulf heightened fears that the war would set off an energy crisis.
European leaders are pushing Prime Minister Viktor Orban to stop blocking a €90 billion loan to Ukraine. But the issue is a rallying cry in remarkably close elections in Hungary set for April 12.
News, Views and Reviews For The Intellectually Curious
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