Iran

Treasury Secretary Bessent says US will 'squash' Iranian economy, collapse 'murderous regime'

"I see lots of reports that said, 'oh, well, this has never worked.' It does work, because we have a combination. It is a one-two punch," Bessent said.

|ByESTHER DAVIS
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stands behind U.S. President Donald Trump who speaks to the media on the day of a NATO leaders' summit in Ankara, Turkey, July 8, 2026.
Supporters of Lebanon's Hezbollah wave flags while commemorating Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000, in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, May 25, 2026.

US hits Hezbollah with fresh sanctions, emphasizing ties to Iranian government

The Treasury Department redesignated the group "for service to the Iranian regime under the command of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force," according to a statement.

|ByREUTERS
Family members mourn the death of a relative killed in an attack by Baloch separatists, at a hospital in Quetta on January 31, 2026.

Iran’s Baloch uprising: A rising lever or a strategic illusion? - opinion

The core issue therefore centers not on the raw strength of the Baloch movement alone but on whether it holds attributes that make it a strategic asset major powers can viably invest in.

|BySALEM ALKETBI
Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and his Iraqi counterpart Haibat al-Halbousi attend a meeting at the parliament building in Baghdad on August 19, 2026.

How Ghalibaf’s visit could redefine Iran-Iraq ties amid regional tensions - analysis

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf visited Iraq as Tehran sought to protect its allied militias and signal it would not budge on the Strait of Hormuz.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN

Trump wanted to cripple Iran - now he might be handing Tehran a victory - opinion

Trump wanted America to take the lead. America took ownership. Now America owns the outcome. Iran’s regime survived. Its nuclear ambitions remain unresolved. And now the Strait of Hormuz is leverage.

AUGUST 15, 2026ByDUVI HONIG
US President Donald Trump boards Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, US, August 7, 2026

Trump says he will declare Strait of Hormuz a 'territory of the United States' after defeating Iran

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi responded to Trump's comments later on Friday, saying that "Iran neither fears threats nor cowers before displays of power."

AUGUST 14, 2026ByAARON GLICK
US President Donald Trump reacts as he speaks to the media with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent behind him, on the day of a NATO leaders' summit in Ankara, Turkey, July 8, 2026.

Two slicks appear in Gulf as huge oil spill off Oman threatens disaster

One slick appeared off the southern tip of Weshm Island, while a smaller one was spotted near Sirri Island in the center of the Gulf.

AUGUST 14, 2026ByREUTERS
A satellite image shows Qeshm Island following suspected oil spills at sea, off the coast of Iran, August 10, 2026.

Middle Israel: Iran's Strait of Hormuz piracy is a reckless, losing strategy - opinion

Iran’s blockade of Hormuz is reckless militarily and politically, and likely the beginning of the end of the ayatollahs’ quest to impose theocracy on Iran and Iran’s sway over an unsuspecting world.

AUGUST 14, 2026ByAMOTZ ASA-EL
FROM THE viewpoint of the Iranian people’s economic future, Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz is a shot in the foot, the writer argues. Here, ships are anchored in the strait off the port of Bandar Abbas, Iran, this week.

The secret Smotrich kept from his wife: Israel was going to war with Iran - interview

He voted against the January 2025 hostage deal, his own voters demanded he resign, and Ben-Gvir walked out. Smotrich stayed silent for five months. In an interview with the Post, he explained why.

AUGUST 14, 2026ByZVIKA KLEIN, KESHET NEEV
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich speaks with 'Jerusalem Post' Editor in Chief Zvika Klein, August 12, 2026.

Shipping traffic falls further in Strait of Hormuz as US, Iran compete over claims to control

The Strait of Hormuz is "under Iran's control and management," the recently appointed head of Iran's Basij paramilitary unit said on Thursday.

AUGUST 14, 2026ByREUTERS
Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, August 3, 2026.

China's export of electric trucks across Asia spikes, as Iran war fuels higher oil costs

China’s rapid adoption of e-trucks - from lighter vehicles to tractor-trailers - has partially shielded the world's biggest auto market from the impact of the conflict.

AUGUST 14, 2026ByREUTERS
A driver resting in his electric truck while charging it at a station in Beijing, April 23, 2026.

US could not verify Israeli warnings of Iran plots against Trump, sources say

The US intelligence community has long assessed that Iran wants to retaliate for Trump’s killing of Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani in 2020.

AUGUST 14, 2026ByREUTERS
US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters mid-flight in the press cabin of the new, Qatari-gifted Air Force One after changing planes to return to Washington from RAF Mildenhall, Britain, July 8, 2026.

Tehran says Hormuz 'cannot be seized' after Trump says he will declare strait US territory

Shipping traffic drops in Strait of Hormuz • UAE condemns 'aggressive Iranian attack' on tankers • IDF to probe soldiers' conduct in Kusra

AUGUST 14, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before boarding Air Force One on August 14, 2026 at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.

US Treasury Secretary Bessent says US to apply measures 'never seen before' on Iran

"It will be a combination of economic isolation like the world has never seen before, and the continued blockade in the Strait of Hormuz that will keep anything from going in or out," Bessent said.

AUGUST 14, 2026ByESTHER DAVIS, AMICHAI STEIN, REUTERS
U.S. Vice President JD Vance speaks next to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche during a cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room at the White House, in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 27, 2026.