The U.N. Is Going Broke as the U.S. and China Withhold Billions

The Trump administration has failed to pay billions of dollars owed to the international body, while Beijing has been accused of gaming the budget.

Iran’s Seizure of Chinese Security Ship Shows Its Favors for Friends Have Limits

The action near the Strait of Hormuz occurred the day the Trump-Xi summit began in Beijing, with Iran on the agenda.

New York Man Convicted After Opening Chinese Police Station

The police outpost was used to renew driver’s licenses and hunt a Chinese political opponent, prosecutors alleged.

Trial Begins for Man Accused of Operating Secret Chinese Police Station in New York

Prosecutors allege the defendant, a U.S. citizen, cooperated with Beijing to harass dissidents.

Iran Is Using Its 1980s Playbook, Plus Drones, to Cripple Global Shipping

Four decades ago, Iran and the U.S. were on a collision course over oil shipping, an episode with inexact parallels to today’s war.

Naval Blockades Have Won Wars but Sometimes at Great Cost

Blockades are among the oldest and most effective techniques of warfare, though rarely the only factor in defeating an adversary.

In Meeting Iranians, JD Vance Is Set to Break Decadeslong Taboo

When U.S.-Iran talks open on Saturday, Vice President JD Vance could become the most senior American official to meet face-to-face with a top official of the Islamic Republic since its 1979 rise to...

Seeing Queen Elizabeth II as the Fashion Influencer of Her Time

A Buckingham Palace show is the largest-ever exhibition of clothing worn by the monarch.

How Elite American Forces Are Trained to Survive Behind Enemy Lines

Air Force crews learn to eat bugs, treat their wounds and evade capture before ever flying a mission.

The Islands That Give Iran a Stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz

The importance of islands such as Kharg, Qeshm and Abu Musa is becoming increasingly apparent as Iran causes an economic crisis by blocking most oil tankers from the strait.

Iran Takes Aim at the Industries Behind the Gulf’s Pivot From Oil

The region’s diversification into tourism, metals and banking is giving Tehran a wider range of targets to strike.

U.S. Court Ruling Keeps Mao Documents Out of China

The diaries of an aide to former Chinese leader Mao Zedong can remain at Stanford University, a federal judge ruled.

Empires Have Battled Over the Strait of Hormuz for Centuries

Greeks, Ottomans and Portuguese all sought to control the Persian waterway, whose shores were once dubbed the Pirate Coast.

A Visual Guide to How Iran Is Holding the Strait of Hormuz Hostage

Ships in the Persian Gulf have been sitting ducks for Iran.

Iran’s Sea Mines Are One of Its Most Powerful Weapons

A Timeline of U.S. and Iran Relations, From Allies to Enemies

The countries were united by weapons and oil until the 1979 Islamic revolution tore their friendship apart.

The Canada School Shooting Touched Almost Everyone at a U.S.-Backed Coal Company

Many of the victims in the hamlet of Tumbler Ridge, B.C., have links to Conuma Resources, which temporarily stopped mining last week.

Canada Has a Secessionist Movement on Its Hands. Its Supporters Thank Trump.

Oil-rich Alberta is poised to hold an independence referendum this year, with the American president’s allies cheering it on.

China Built a Vast Oil Stake in Venezuela. Now It Risks Getting Muscled Out.

Beijing’s moves bought it sway in Venezuela—all of it now subject to the Trump administration’s preferences in the wake of Maduro’s ouster.

Maduro’s Capture Threatens China’s Ambitions in Latin America

Beijing has steadily built relationships over the past two decades in Washington’s backyard.