US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the Iran conflict and its impact on global energy supplies during a phone call.
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.
In his resignation letter to US President Donald Trump, Kent called the conflict with Iran unjustified, contending that Washington, DC entered the war due primarily to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby rather than clear, direct threats to national security.
'In such a scenario, Iran could proclaim itself victor, rebuild, re-enforce its diminished regional proxies to further destabilise neighbouring nations and take control of the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz.'
Iranian representatives have conveyed to the Trump administration that they are unwilling to resume talks with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, preferring instead to engage with Vice President J D Vance.
The logic of war plus the gathering storms in US politics as the midterms loom large leave him with no real alternative but to negotiate, points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
'American stature has been reduced because they have not been able to achieve their aims.'
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has warned the United States that Iran is ready to confront American troops if the US launches a ground invasion, calling such a move a potential 'big disaster' for Washington.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump discussed the Middle East crisis, with a focus on the Strait of Hormuz.
A US-sanctioned tanker carrying Iranian crude oil has rerouted mid-voyage from its previously indicated destination of India to China, raising questions about payment issues and the future of India's Iranian oil imports.
As the security situation continues to evolve in West Asia and the Gulf region, an Iranian military source has warned the United States against any ground aggression on Iran, calling it a red line and saying a 'surprise' would await US President Donald Trump, Tasnim News Agency reported on Saturday.
The big question is whether Trump is any longer in command of the situation. For all practical purposes, the war seems set to cascade as the US is preparing for a potential ground operation in Iran and threatens to destroy 'bridges next, then electric power plants', points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
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.
Donald Trump has warned Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours or face military action, escalating tensions amid regional conflict and impacting global oil supplies.
He also criticised the possible succession of the son of the late supreme leader of the Islamic Republic, Mojtaba Khamenei, who is widely viewed as a leading contender for the position.
Cooper Connolly slammed a fine unbeaten fifty as Punjab Kings defeated Gujarat Titans by three wickets in their opening Indian Premier League match on Tuesday.
Gujarat Titans' star players Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler, Rashid Khan and Kagiso Rabada will be looking to revive their international careers with strong performances in IPL 2026.
Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru carried off from last season with dominating performances in their opening two games of IPL 2026.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has offered to host talks between the US and Iran to help resolve the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, following reports of Pakistan's involvement in backchannel diplomacy.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump outlined key goals of the campaign, including degrading Iran's missile capabilities, dismantling its defence industrial base, eliminating naval and air power, preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear capability, and protecting United States allies such as Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
If the Iranian regime needs to be punished for promoting quasi-terrorist outfits like Hezbollah and Hamas, then what about Pakistan which has spent decades exporting terror around the world, killing thousands, particularly in Afghanistan and India? asks M R Narayan Swamy.
Brace yourself for Sunny Deol's roaring patriotism and more on OTT this week, as Sukanya Verma lists your choices.
Nearly a year after Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma stepped away from Test cricket, questions over how and why they retired continue to linger. Many fans still believe the decision may not have been entirely theirs, pointing to possible pressure from the selectors or the team management.
India's Washington Sundar has joined Hampshire for their last two match of the 2025 Championship campaign, the English county side announced on Thursday, weeks after the all-rounder emerged as one of the breakout stars of the Test series against England.
Ali Mousavi stated that such cooperation is essential for maintaining stability in the strategic waterway.
India defend the decision to drop Axar Patel for Washington Sundar against South Africa, calling it a tactical call based on powerplay match-ups.
Amid escalating tensions with Iran, President Trump is urging nations dependent on Middle Eastern oil to deploy warships to the Strait of Hormuz to safeguard critical global energy supplies.
For weeks, the war skirted the edge of catastrophe without tipping over. Missiles flew, there was much destruction, commanders were assassinated, cities across the Gulf and even in Israel struggled to absorb the shock. But one line held: Energy infrastructure, the arteries of the global economy, remained largely untouched. That is no longer true. Prem Panicker continues his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
Sunil Gavaskar says India played with overconfidence and failed to adapt in their 76-run T20 World Cup defeat to South Africa, and backs Axar Patel's return for the Zimbabwe clash.
A fit-again all-rounder Washington Sundar will link up with the Indian squad in New Delhi ahead of the Namibia game on February 12, skipper Suryakumar Yadav said after the team's 29-run win against the USA in the T20 World Cup in Mumbai on Saturday.
According to the report, the Pentagon is deploying the USS Tripoli ARG, along with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), part of its own strike group.
Delhi should keep all its options open in what is essentially a transitional period in the geopolitics of energy rather than remain a gatekeeper serving Trump's 'America First', suggests Ambasssador M K Bhadrakumar.
The United States has encouraged India to purchase Russian oil already at sea to mitigate supply shortages and price increases amid the West Asia conflict, according to Energy Secretary Chris Wright. This move is described as a short-term effort to stabilise the market without altering Washington's policy towards Russia.
Israel and the United States had a plan. Iran punched back. And now the Gulf is reeling, the world is beginning to feel the pain and, as on date, no one in Washington or Tel Aviv appears willing to admit that the punch has landed, notes Prem Panicker, continuing his must-read blog on the war in the Middle East.
Fight on toward goals that keep receding, or exit with most objectives unmet. Trump is agitated, his poll numbers falling below the Plimsoll line, his base fractured between those who back the war and those who remember that he campaigned on ending them.
Amid rising tensions in West Asia, China is urging all parties to cease military operations, following Trump's appeal for help in securing the Strait of Hormuz.
The United States Trade Representative (USTR) office on Wednesday launched a sweeping investigation into manufacturing and industrial practices in 16 economies, including India, citing concerns over what it calls 'structural excess capacity' that could distort global trade. Announcing the move on a White House press call, Jamieson Greer said the probe would be conducted under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, one of Washington, DC's most powerful trade enforcement tools.
Israel wishes to continue its bombing campaign until Iran's military and industrial infrastructure are degraded to a point where it ceases to pose a threat to Israel. Iran, for its part, has learnt from its experience in the 12-day war of last June. Any ceasefire, it believes, will only be a prelude to another attack on itself. It is determined to convey that any attack on Iran will impose heavy costs on Israel, the US, America's allies in the Gulf -- and on the world at large, points out T T Ram Mohan.
The question is no longer whether the war will expand. It has. The next few days will tell us whether the war stabilises around Hormuz or whether the Strait itself becomes the trigger for a far larger rupture. What to watch for over the next 48 hours is simple: Any move by the US toward direct naval control of the Strait; any credible Iranian attempt to disrupt or mine shipping lanes and, critically, whether energy infrastructure in the Gulf continues to be targeted.If those lines are crossed in tandem, the war will no longer be containable within the region.
India opener Abhishek Sharma's availability for Thursday's match against Namibia is uncertain because of a stomach bug.
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