Explainer

Explainer

An US flag waves in the wind on a boat near the Statue of Liberty in New York August 31, 2011. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

How many US presidents have been assassinated?

Following McKinley’s death in 1901, Congress assigned the Secret Service permanent responsibility for protecting the president

Luojiashan tanker sits anchored in Muscat, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Muscat, Oman, March 7, 2026. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo

How long can Iran withstand a US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz?

Mourners react during the funeral of Palestinians killed in Israeli fire, according to medics, at Al-Shifa hospital, in Gaza City, August 28, 2025. REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa

Why the EU is under pressure to suspend its trade agreement with Israel

Chess pieces are seen in front of displayed Iran's and US flags in this illustration taken January 25, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

Key sticking points in US-Iran negotiations ahead of Islamabad talks tomorrow

Luojiashan tanker sits anchored in Muscat, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Muscat, Oman, March 7, 2026. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo

What to know about US-Iran standoff over the Strait of Hormuz

People work to repair the bridge linking southern Lebanon to the rest of the country, which was hit earlier in an Israeli strike, after a 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel went into effect, in Qasmiyeh, Lebanon, April 17, 2026. Photo: REUTERS/Louisa Gouliamaki

What's in the Lebanon ceasefire deal and will it hold?

A Wall Street sign outside the New York Stock Exchange in New York City, New York, U.S., October 2, 2020. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri

Iran war’s big winners: Wall Street, weapons firms, AI and green energy

Nuclear symbol and Iran flag are seen in this illustration, July 21, 2022. Photo: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Why Israel’s nukes get a pass while Iran is scrutinised

Collage: TBS

How much will US Hormuz blockade hurt Iran?

Photo: Reuters

How Pakistan has served as a bridge in US diplomacy from the Cold War to the Iran war

FILE PHOTO: USA and Iranian flags are seen in this illustration taken, September 8, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/file photo

How Pakistan helped broker a US-Iran ceasefire

Photo: Reuters

Can Iran charge fees for ships to transit the Strait of Hormuz?

Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, Iran's only nuclear power plant. Photo: Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu/FILE

Why an attack on Bushehr nuclear plant would be catastrophic for the Gulf