Taking Kharg would give the US control over virtually all of Iran's oil exports and thus provide significant leverage, notes Prem Panicker in his must read daily blog on the Gulf War. It would also put American troops within range of Iran's remaining missiles, drones, and artillery on a piece of real estate that is just eight square miles in size, and just 15 miles from the Iranian mainland.
The United States, which entered this war in expectation of a short, sharp win along the Venezuela model, is now preparing for deeper involvement in a conflict it does not fully control, without the allies it typically relies on, against an adversary that is not behaving as expected, in a global environment that is already absorbing economic shock. Prem Panicker continues his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
Coco Gauff started her quest for a maiden Australian Open title with a straight games win over Kamilla Rakhimova to reach the second round.
Aryna Sabalenka inched closer to becoming the first woman since Serena Williams (2012-14) to win consecutive US Open titles.
Three decades and seven films after the first blockbuster Mission: Impossible film in 1996, Tom Cruise, now 62, returns with yet another installment in the franchise, Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning.
This weekend, we lost Diane Keaton, that piece of American heart, Hollywood's darling hummingbird. Thank God she is still alive in her films. Aseem Chhabra on the Hollywood star he was in love with.
Former champion Iga Swiatek kicked off her US Open campaign with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Colombia's Emiliana Arango on Tuesday as the Pole aims to keep her hot streak on track in New York.
Red Square and VDNKh easily rank among the most striking places I've visited -- both for their historical significance and architectural splendour.
My admiration for Russian culture, vision and ambition grew with every step as I clocked the miles, Nitin Sathe tells us after a visit to Moscow and St Petersburg.
Norwegian hurdling great Karsten Warholm destroyed his own world best time in the rarely run 300 metres hurdles at the Oslo Diamond League meeting on Thursday.
Vietnam was wonderful and the people warm and hospitable, Radhika Mittal discovered over a 11-day stay.
Images from Day 3 of the 2025 Australian Open in Melbourne on Tuesday.
Trump has a major decision to take in coming days -- specifically, how to rescue Israel from the attritional war that lies ahead, points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
13 of the men's seeds fell at the first hurdle -- a Wimbledon record since 32 seeds were introduced in 2001.
Images from the Diamond League meet at Qatar Sports Club Stadium, Doha, on Friday.
Images from the US Open women's singles second round matches, at Flushing Meadows, New York, on Wednesday.
IMAGES from Day 1 of the US Open played Flushing Meadows, New York, United States, on Monday.
Images from Saturday's events at the World Athletics Indoor Championships, at Nanjing Youth Olympic Sports Park, Nanjing, China.
Stunning landscapes, natural beauty, clean beaches, cultural wealth, mouth-watering food, shopping options, safety for solo travellers, warm hospitality, easy visas, and connectivity make Vietnam a must-visit destination, discovers Ramesh Menon.
Images from the men's singles Round of 16 matches at the US Open on Monday.
Italy's Matteo Arnaldi produced a sensational performance to take out sixth seed Andrey Rublev and reach the last 16 of the French Open on Friday.
Paris St Germain seized control of their Champions League playoff with a commanding 3-0 first-leg win at Brest on Tuesday, driven by a brace from forward Ousmane Dembele.
A summary of Sunday's action in the Premier League.
The U.S. victory was a lot more comfortable than the 0.85-second winning margin would suggest as Best and his crew - Nick Mead, Michael Grady and Liam Corrigan - cruised through the 2000-metre course with barely a ripple
Images from the Diamond League Finals at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels on Saturday.
A summary of Thursday's action at the US Open.
Images from the US Open women's singles quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows on Wednesday.
Images from the athletics action at Stade de France, Saint-Denis, Paris, on Thursday.
Kenyan Beatrice Chebet shattered the women's 10,000 metres world record at the Prefontaine Classic on Saturday, as Britain's Josh Kerr beat arch-rival Jakob Ingebrigtsen in the mile race at the Eugene Diamond League meet.
Images from Day 2 of the 2024 French Open at Roland Garros in Paris on Monday.
Aseem Chhabra lists his favourite 2024 films that he watched at film festivals held in Berlin, Cannes, Toronto and India.
Aseem Chhabra's Top 10 Films/ Series from TIFF 2024 includes films that he watched for the first time in Toronto. The films were impressive due to their rigor, passion, unique storytelling style and sometimes exploring the vulnerable sides of big name stars.
Still wearing a compression sleeve after a recent forearm issue, Carlos Alcaraz produced a stellar show in a rematch of the duo's 2022 encounter to firmly put himself back in the conversation as the favourite to lift the title in Paris and a third major.
Images from Day 6 at the French Open, at Roland Garros, in Paris, on Friday.
Top seed Carlos Alcaraz dominated Gael Monfils 6-2 6-4 and fourth seed Alexander Zverev escaped a tight first set en route to a 7-6(4) 6-3 win over Christopher Eubanks to reach the last 16 at the Miami Open on Monday.
Holger Rune rallied from a set down and saved a match point to defeat former champion Taylor Fritz 2-6 7-6(2) 6-3 on Wednesday and reach the Indian Wells quarter-finals where he will meet fourth seed Daniil Medvedev.
These mushrooms are a perfect side with the drinks at a weekend biryani party.
Images from the US Open men's singles second round matches, at Flushing Meadows, New York, on Wednesday.
IMAGES from Day 2 of the Wimbledon Championships, at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, on Tuesday.
Amid deepening row with the United States over disputed South China Sea where American ships challenged China's claims of sovereignty, Chinese military has deployed its latest anti-ship cruise missiles which experts say can form a powerful defence line at sea.
Images from the men's singles action at the Wimbledon Championships on Saturday.
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