(2026-05-09). After Iran war 'defeat', Trump loses big battle in US: Blow after oil shock to cost him midterms. hindustantimes.com After what critics call a defeat in the Iran war, Trump is now hit by a legal defeat at home. A U.S. trade court has ruled his 10% "universal" import tariff unlawful for key plaintiffs, following an earlier Supreme Court slap‚Äëdown, even as high petrol prices and inflation haunt his record‚Äëhigh stock market boasts.
(2026-05-08). US resumes strikes on Iran, as Trump threatens further escalation. wsws.org US forces struck Iranian military targets on Thursday after sending three US Navy destroyers through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively closed since February.
(2026-05-08). China's shipping firms brace for a new 'era of chaos' as Iran war drags on. scmp.com China's shipping giants are bracing for a harsh new reality of persistent global volatility, as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz shifts from being a problem of transit delays to a hard volume shock. | With the crucial energy corridor still paralysed as the US-Israel war on Iran drags on with no clear end in sight, China's state-backed shipping majors are doubling down on long-term contracts and creating new multimodal routes in an attempt to hedge against future shocks.
(2026-05-08). US Project Freedom Fell Apart After 'Backlash' From Saudi Arabia, Kuwait. popularresistance.org Saudi Arabia and Kuwait suspended US access to their military sites in opposition to Washington's so-called Project Freedom, according to a 6 May report by NBC News. | "Trump's abrupt reversal on his plan to help ships go through the Strait of Hormuz came after [Saudi Arabia] suspended the US military's ability to use its bases and airspace to carry out the operation," two US officials told the US outlet. The officials said Washington's Persian Gulf allies were "surprised" by Trump's announcement of Project Freedom over the weekend, which the US leader framed as a means of breaking Iran's control over the Strait…
(2026-05-08). "Absolutely Vulnerable" : Over 20,000 Global South Ship Workers Stranded at Sea Due to Iran War. democracynow.org 
As Iran and the United States maintain rival blockades on the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters, we look at the more than 20,000 seafarers stranded on commercial ships since the outbreak of the war and unable to move out of the region. These maritime workers are often working-class men from developing countries across the Global South who form the crews on about 1,500 oil tankers, cargo ships and other vessels currently stuck on the water. Unpaid for several weeks, they lack the visas to disembark in any of the Gulf countries near the ships. | "There is lack of food, there is lack of provisions, there…
(2026-05-08). Iran war wreaks havoc in Africa. wsws.org The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has driven fuel prices in Africa up by as much as 80 percent. Inflation is rising, and food production is in jeopardy, with governments scrambling to avert agricultural collapse.
(2026-05-08). Kurds caught in the Middle of Israel-US War on Iran. juancole.com ( Rojava's Kurds spent years fighting…
(2026-05-08). F/A-18 Super Hornet Drops Bombs Down Smoke Stacks Of Iranian Tankers Running Blockade (Updated). twz.com 
The attack comes as the UAE claims it was struck again by Iran and hours after the U.S. and Iran exchanged blows.
(2026-05-08). US and Iran exchange fire in Hormuz despite ongoing ceasefire. geo.tv 
A missile is launched during a joint exercise called the 'Great Prophet 17', in the southwest of Iran, in this picture obtained on December 22, 2021. — Reuters Iran says struck US vessels after US attacks on ships and Iranian territory.US says Iran launched missiles,…
(2026-05-08). US war on Iran drives up cost of living in Sri Lanka as government prepares new taxes. wsws.org IMF austerity attacks, compounded by the war burden, are hitting already impoverished workers and the poor.
(2026-05-08). Qatar premier meets with JD Vance in White House talks on Iran. newarab.com 
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani met with Vance and discussed Pakistani-led efforts to broker a permanent peace amid a shaky ceasefire. | The Qatari prime minister "stressed the need for all parties to engage with the ongoing mediation efforts, to pave the way for addressing the root causes of the crisis through peaceful means and dialogue, leading to a compr…
(2026-05-08). Subjects of empire: Breaking cycle of Arab dependency on U.S. elections. peoplesworld.org 
Much of the current discourse on the Middle East remains fixated on the U.S. midterm congressional elections this coming November. This vote, in particular, is being framed as a pivotal turning point for everything from the survival of Gaza and Lebanon to the future of Iran and beyond. To a large extent, one can understand …
(2026-05-08). Global stocks diverge, oil rises after fresh US-Iran clashes. newarab.com 
Global stock markets diverged and oil prices rose Friday as fresh While European bourses retreated, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq indices both pushed to fresh records on solid US jobs numbers. The Dow ended flat. | "No negative news sticks to this bull market, and it just keeps working its way higher," said CFRA Research's Sam Stovall. | A US fighter jet disabled two Iranian-fla…
(2026-05-08). Iraq denies US claims deputy oil minister helped Iran evade sanctions. newarab.com 
Iraq's oil ministry has denied US accusations against its deputy minister, who the United States hit with sanctions over alleged support to Iran as The US State Department on Thursday announced sanctions on Ali Maarij al-Bahadli, saying he "abused his government position to divert Iraqi oil in support of the Iranian regime and its terrorist proxies." | It accused him of fraudulently mixing Iraqi and Iranian oil as part of a sche…
(2026-05-08). Leaked CIA analysis undermines Trump administration's claims of Iranian collapse. nationofchange.org Intelligence findings reportedly showed Iran retained most of its missile capabilities and could withstand a U.S. blockade for months even as Trump officials publicly declared victory.
(2026-05-08). FOIA Request Reveals Major Spike in ICE Arrests of Iranians Amid 2025 War on Iran. truthout.org Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested hundreds of Iranian nationals during the U.S.'s June 2025 war on Iran, according to government data released to the National Iranian American Council under a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. The National Iranian American Council (NIAC) filed a FOIA request in October 2025 after reports revealed the U.S. had deported dozens of… |
(2026-05-08). US military struck empty tankers 'trying to break Iran blockade'. newarab.com 
(2026-05-08). Democracy Now! 2026-05-08 Friday. democracynow.org Headlines for May 08, 2026; Trump Pushes to Take Over Elections, Punish His Enemies: Pulitzer Prize-Winning Reporter Ned Parker; Amid Growing Abuse at ICE Jails, Rep. Adelita Grijalva Calls to Shut Down Trump's Detention Network; "They Don't Care": Trump's Border Wall Construction Damages 1,000-Year-Old Sacred Indigenous Site; "Absolutely Vulnerable": Over 20,000 Global South Ship Workers Stranded at Sea Due to Iran War | Headlines for May 08, 2026; Trump Pushes to Take Over Elections, Punish His Enemies: Pulitzer Prize-Winning Reporter Ned Parker; Amid Growing Abuse at ICE…
(2026-05-08). Thanks to Trump, the gloves are off. There may be no new global order. scmp.com The old order is dead. We just don't know what will replace it. As Henry Kissinger reminded us in his 2014 book World Order, "no truly global order has ever existed". After US President Donald Trump's erratic actions, the gloves are off. American comedians and Iranian Lego cartoons tell us all we need to know about the demise of the old order. | If the unipolar order is not viable, and America is abandoning the multilateral order and the rules of the game it created after World War II, what are…
(2026-05-07). U.S. issues new Iran-related sanctions. ecns.cn U.S. issues new Iran-related sanctions – Treasury Department website…
(2026-05-08). Operation Trust Me Bro: Let Them Drink Bourbon. commondreams.org 
With no grown-ups in sight, a feckless war lurches and whipsaws on, run by a regime full of clowns, drunks, losers, grifters all steadfastly defying the will of the people. Trump rants, Hegseth lies, Rubio punts, and a shameless Ka$h Patel, who actually likes to spell his name that way, is gifting bottles of personally branded bourbon – "KASH PATEL, FBI Director," boasting "strong notes of insecurity" – on all sides. Nothing to see here.The dizzying pivots on Iran go on, with Dear Leader "paralyzed" by what he started and can't for the life of him figure out how to end. The military blockade of Iran's ports i…
(2026-05-08). US, Iran Exchange Fire Overnight — Trump Maintains Ceasefire Remains in Place. truthout.org President Donald Trump is maintaining that a ceasefire agreement between Iran and the United States remains in place, for now, despite the two countries exchanging fire on Thursday evening. The exchange occurred as the U.S. was awaiting a response from Iran regarding a proposal to end the war. Both countries claim the other side is at fault for beginning the hostilities. |
(2026-05-08). How did US weapons intended for Iranian Kurds disappear. newarab.com 
(2026-05-08). Irán acusa a EE.UU. de violar el alto el fuego al atacar dos buques y varias zonas civiles. radiohc.cu El portavoz del Cuartel General Central Jatam al Anbiya de Irán, Ebrahim Zolfaghari, acusó este jueves a EE.UU. de romper el alto al fuego al atacar dos buques iraníes y varias zonas civiles. | En el comunicado difundido por la agencia Tasnim se lee: El Ejército invasor, terrorista y bandido de Estados Unidos, violando el alto el fuego, atacó un buque cisterna iraní que se desplazaba desde las aguas costeras de Irán en la zona de Jask hacia el estrecho de Ormuz, así como a otro buque que ingresaba al estrecho frente al puerto de Fuyaira en Emiratos àÅrabes Unidos ª. | Asimismo, asegura que las fuerzas e…
(2026-05-08). China Grows 5%—But Fears a Trump-Caused Hormuz Shock. juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — Although Asian economies have been the first to feel the cut-off in petroleum from the Strait of Hormuz, China has so far weathered the resultant energy crisis. | In fact, China's economy
(2026-05-08). Chinese foreign ministry confirms Marshall Islands-flagged vessel with Chinese crew attacked near Strait of Hormuz. ecns.cn The vessel that was attacked near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday was Marshall Islands-flagged with Chinese crew on board, and there are no reports of casualties so far, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian confirmed on Friday.
(2026-05-08). European war flotilla en route to the Strait of Hormuz. wsws.org The mission is neither peaceful nor neutral. The former colonial powers France and Britain are pursuing their own imperialist interests in the Middle East, which do not align with those of the US. The same applies to Germany and the European Union.
(2026-05-08). Saudi banned US use of bases, airspace for Hormuz operation: sources. newarab.com 
But the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, said Washington's access to Saudi airspace and bases would continue for other uses. | Saudi Arabia has repeatedly said it will not allow its territory and airspace to be used…