Iran War: Trump Says US Waging Economic Warfare | The Pulse 8/20/2026

"The Pulse With Francine Lacqua" is all about conversations with high profile guests in the beating heart of global business, economics, finance and politics. Based in London, we go wherever the story is, bringing you exclusive interviews and market-moving scoops. Today's guests: Bhanu Baweja, UBS Investment Bank, Chief Strategist; Ester Baiget, Novonesis, CEO & Selahattin Bilgen, Istanbul Airport, CEO. (Source: Bloomberg)

Trump’s Order to Cut Military Exercises With South Korea Carries Risks, Experts Say

President Trump’s decision to curtail the military exercises came as allies question the U.S. commitment to longstanding alliances.

By Eric Schmitt and Helene Cooper

Trump announces new drive to isolate and crush Iranian economy

UAE, long a crucial trading hub for Tehran, has also suspended commercial ties

North Korea fires 10 missiles day after Trump curtails South Korea joint drills

Launches, detected by South Korea and Japan, came after US scaled back exercises with South Korea in apparent overture to Kim Jong-un North Korea launched about 10 short-range ballistic missiles towards the sea on Thursday, South Korea’s military said, a day after North Korea shrugged off Trump’s order to scale back military drills with South Korea in an apparent bid to resume diplomacy. The joint chiefs of staff said the launches happened from North Korea’s capital region around 5pm (0800 GM...

By By Hyung-Jin Kim, Associated Press

U.S. debt tops $40 trillion. And, new census report Trump is touting raises concerns

The U.S. debt has surpassed $40 trillion. And, a new census report on noncitizen voting that President Trump is touting has ties to a think tank aligned with him, raising concerns among experts.

By Brittney Melton

North Korea fires up to 10 ballistic missiles toward sea, hours after Trump speaks of re-engagement

South Korea's presidential office condemned North Korea's launch of more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles on Thursday and ordered its military to maintain full readiness during ongoing joint ​exercises with the United States.

Trump scaling down U.S.-South Korea drills risks more than just joint military readiness

The move by Trump also will start to raise questions about the credibility of Washington's commitment to alliances.

Why North Korea is ‘keeping the door open for dialogue’ with Trump

At first glance, Kim Yo-jong’s latest message to Washington looked like a rebuff to US President Donald Trump’s insistence that he would meet her brother Kim Jong-un later this year. But analysts said the North Korean leader’s powerful sister stopped well short of shutting down Trump’s outreach, using a carefully worded statement to leave room for renewed summit diplomacy while making clear that Pyongyang intended to set the terms for any return to dialogue. In her statement, released by Nort...

By Park Chan-kyong

Bitcoin, crypto shares climb after Trump pushes Clarity Act

Some lawmakers oppose supporting the bill without language that would bar politicians from profiting from crypto ventures

By Pritam Biswas and Arasu Kannagi Basil

North Korea fires possible ballistic missiles toward sea

The launch came hours after US President Trump announced plans to meet Kim Jong Un later this year.

Trump cannot let Iran make him ‘look like a loser,’ says former Fox News personality

President Trump ‘sees life in terms of winners and losers,’ Bill O’Reilly says

By Owen Scott

North Korea Test Fires Missiles As Kim Jong Un’s Sister Says She’s ‘Unaware’ Of Any Talks With Trump

The missile launches took place hours after Trump said he plans to meet with the North Korean leader sometime later this year.

By Siladitya Ray, Forbes Staff

A photo op or nuclear talks? What Trump wants from a meeting with North Korea’s dictator

Donald Trump is pushing for a meeting with Kim Jong-un, but the stakes shift dramatically depending on what he’s hoping to achieve.

By Lisa Visentin

Trump announces ‘crushing economic operation’ against Iran

The US president has threatened severe retaliation against countries that help Tehran

By Macarena Vidal Liy

Trump calls his new FDA pick ‘Dr. Heidi.’ Patty Murray calls her a ‘far-right, anti-abortion extremist’

Heidi Overton has been critical of abortion pills and, if confirmed, would be positioned to roll back FDA rules that made them more accessible.

By Ali Swenson, The Associated Press

North Korea launches 10 ballistic missiles as US-South Korea drills near end

The missiles flew around 300 kilometres (186 miles) toward the sea, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

[Key Points] Trump’s ‘57 nukes’ claim raises questions over changes to N, Korea strategy

Number draws scrutiny: Trump said North Korea has “57 very powerful nuclear weapons,” an unusually precise figure that he did not source or define. In April, he had put the arsenal at 45. Estimates run higher: South Korean officials estimate Pyongyang may possess roughly 80-120 nuclear weapons, while a KIDA researcher previously projected 127-150 based on fissile-material production. Language signals shift: Trump’s matter-of-fact description of North Korea’s arsenal, coupled with repeated refere

By The Korea Herald

North Korea fires suspected ballistic missile, Japanese authorities say

North Korea fired a suspected ballistic missile towards the sea on Thursday, Japan’s government and coastguard said. South Korean media also cited South Korea’s military as saying North Korea fired an unidentified projectile toward the sea on the east of the Korean Peninsula. Japan’s coast guard said the projectile, believed to be a ballistic missile, […]

China condemns 'discriminatory' US tariffs on drone components after Trump turns to local sourcing

Beijing has condemned US tariffs on drones and components, accusing Washington of discriminating against Chinese products and harming Chinese companies.

Ex-Congress MP Sajjan Kumar, Convicted In 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots Case, Dies

Sajjan Kumar, who was serving life imprisonment in Tihar jail, was rushed to Safdarjung Hospital, where the doctors declared him brought dead.

N. Korea fires suspected ballistic missile: Japan gov't

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- North Korea launched what may be a ballistic missile on Thursday, Japan's Defense Ministry said.Earlier this month, North Korea fired

North Korea fires off missile hours after Trump says he plans to meet Kim

The missile is believed to have splashed down in waters outside Japan's exclusive economic zone.

Iran risks losing economic lifeline as UAE halts trading

By Golnar Motevalli

(URGENT) N.K. leader's sister says scaling down Ulchi Freedom Shield put Seoul 'in poor plight of canceling war games it liked very much'

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By Kang Yoon-seung

Bitcoin, crypto shares climb after Trump pushes Clarity Act

Bitcoin, crypto shares climb after Trump pushes Clarity Act

By Reuters

Trump's threat of economic consequences: who will it affect and is it credible?

By Aarti Nagraj

Trump escalates economic war on Iran: Can sanctions and oil blockade force Tehran to cave in?

Trump unleashes economic war on Iran: Will it work?

Russian ballistic missiles kill 12 in Ukraine's Kyiv, spark fires

Russian defence ministry says Moscow attacked Kyiv and the surrounding region with airstrikes and drones

By Reuters

Trump eyes year-end talks with N. Korea's Kim to reboot diplomacy

President Donald Trump said Wednesday he will meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later this year, seeking to revive personal diplomacy forged during his first term. Trump t...

Trump Threatens 'Crushing Economic War' Against Iran

President Donald Trump announced what he called "the most crushing economic operation ever undertaken against any country."

North Korea fires missiles hours after Trump announces Kim meeting

North Korea fires short-range ballistic missiles hours after US President Trump announces a meeting with Kim Jong Un, raising regional tensions. Read More: https://punchng.com/north-korea-fires-missiles-hours-after-trump-announces-kim-meeting/

By Punch Newspapers

North Korea fires 10 short-range ballistic missiles

Seoul: North Korea fired around 10 short-range ballistic missiles toward the sea on Thursday, South Korea's military said.Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said...

By Times of Oman

North Korea launches multiple ballistic missiles toward Sea of Japan

North Korea launched around 10 short-range ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan.