'What the Americans want is to destabilise Iran. For destabilising Iran, you need access. 'One access is through Iraq. The other access is through Pakistan.'
Iran on Sunday vowed to avenge the United States bombing of three of its major nuclear facilities saying the American strikes will have 'everlasting consequences'.
The CIA's confirmation comes amid reports claiming that the US strikes did not destroy nuclear sites in Iran as claimed by President Donald Trump or his administration.
World champion D Gukesh's struggles continued as he slumped to a third successive defeat, losing to 16-year-old Turkish Grandmaster Ediz Gurel in the seventh round of the FIDE Grand Swiss in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Thursday.
'Within minutes, my mobile began ringing. It was National Security Adviser Brajesh Mishra, asking why the Iranians were complaining.' 'I explained that we had only restated our position in the light of the conclusion reached by the IAEA, but will remain helpful to Iran to reach a consensus.' 'Then came a call from Foreign Secretary Kamal Sibal, repeating what Mishra said about the Iranian complaint.' 'I was very impressed that Iran was able to reach two top officials in India to intervene at short notice,' recalls Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.
China's official media on Sunday criticised United States bomb attacks on Iranian nuclear sites as a further step toward the abyss, while experts in Beijing said the American bunker-buster bombs used in strikes may not be enough to destroy Iran's nuclear plants hidden deep underground.
As per Israeli media, at least four people have been killed and several injured after an Iranian missile struck a residential building in Beersheba.
Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Wednesday warned Israel and said that the "Zionist regime made a grave mistake" and "will face the consequences of its actions".
United States President Donald Trump has expressed strong disapproval of Israel and Iran 'violating the ceasefire' he announced earlier in the day and said the two countries have been fighting 'so long and so hard that they don't know what the f*** they're doing'.
The aircraft, part of the US air force's 509th Bomb Wing, reportedly dropped 14 massive 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs on two major underground uranium enrichment sites in Iran as part of Operation Midnight Hammer.
Following attacks on Iranian nuclear sites, including Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz, the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) has stated that the attacks are a violation of international law and that Iran's nuclear industry will continue its development.
After his remarks at the White House. Trump, in his Truth Social pos,t warned that any retaliation from Iran would be met with "force far greater than what was witnessed tonight."
Israel's aerial assault on Iran is widely viewed as an act of naked aggression with no basis in international law, carried out unilaterally despite US opposition and aimed at derailing ongoing US-Iran nuclear negotiations, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
The opposition party reiterated the absolute essentiality of immediate diplomacy and dialogue with Iran.
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.
'America holds about 16% of IMF voting rights, giving it crucial influence over Pakistan's desperately needed bailout loans.'
In a post on Truth Social, Trump described the operation as a historic moment for the US, Israel and the world, while urging Iran to agree to end the ongoing conflict.
In a Truth Social Post, Trump said, "This cannot continue. There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days."
'Pakistan is an ally who gives the US access.' 'If we have a presence there, it puts us that much closer to China and puts our assets closer to China and Iran.'
US strikes on Iran's three main nuclear facilities have once again raised concerns that Tehran might shut down the Strait of Hormuz - one of the world's most critical chokepoints, through which a fifth of global oil and gas supply flows.
Will Russia's entry deter Trump on his warpath?, asks Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
This is part of the reason the US advised some Americans to leave the region earlier Wednesday, with the State Department ordering non-emergency government officials to exit Iraq due to 'heightened regional tensions', CBS News reported.
Indian refiners are likely to import 2-2.2 million barrels per day of Russian crude oil in June - the highest in the last two years and more than the total volumes bought from Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait, preliminary data by global trade analytics firm Kpler showed.
India and the US have collaborated through the past one month on launching a powerful satellite; are commencing joint production of GE Aerospace's F414 jet engines in India; India is participating in a massive three week-long military exercise in the Western Pacific, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
'But that was not our aim. Our objective was already achieved.'
United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday said 'we' now have 'complete and total control of the skies over Iran' and 'we know exactly where the so-called 'Supreme Leader' is hiding'.
Superbet Classic: Praggnanandhaa in joint lead with three others
United States President Donald Trump has stated that Iran will 'never be able to rebuild' its nuclear facilities following recent American airstrikes carried out under 'Operation Midnight Hammer' over the weekend while claiming that the sites were now 'under rock', referring to Iran's nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan.
Reigning World champion Dommaraju Gukesh's roller-coaster ride continues. The Indian Grandmaster suffered defeat in an Armageddon tie-break and slipped to tied-fifth place, while Arjun Erigaisi upset American world No.2 Hikaru Nakamura to maintain fourth position in the Norway Chess tournament.
Over the weekend, one senior US official told CNN, the Israelis had an opportunity to kill Iran's supreme leader.
Trump couldn't care less anymore about the Israeli demand for Iran's 'de-nuclearisation' and 'de-militarisation.' Trump pins hopes on a grand bargain with Iran as a partner in America First, argues Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
US President Donald Trump on Saturday (local time) said that the United States has launched an attack on three Nuclear sites in Iran.
An inconclusive end to this war will pose high risk for Netanyahu of a cascading demand for a regime change in Israel, predicts Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
At the end of the day, for many worldwide, the ongoing mutual attacks between Israel and Iran would seem a contest devoid of any moral high ground and only a bout between two ordinary adversaries, one that nevertheless risks spinning out of control into a larger conflagration, notes Shyam G Menon.
Trump's method are more destabilising than his policy. So, a good idea these couple of years is to sip Kool-Aid, and savour the joys of Trumplomacy, asserts Shekhar Gupta.
Gukesh is currently sharing the 8th spot on 1.5 points along with Abdusattorov and Duda.
After the match, jubilant Iranians danced and cheered as they streamed out of the ground.
Acutely conscious that he's left with less than four years to create his legacy, Trump is undoubtedly a man in a hurry, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
'Geopolitical stability could remove the crude oil risk premium.'
