'Much will depend on the position of the United States.' 'It will have to be seen to what extent the US will be more interested in achieving some form of a deal and to what extent Israel will be allowed to continue to carry out both airstrikes and the killing of Iranian officials.'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the BJP's 47th Foundation Day, highlighting the Uniform Civil Code and 'One Nation, One Election' as key unfinished agendas. He also reaffirmed the party's commitment to implementing women's reservation in the 2029 elections and criticised dynastic politics.
The government has mandated that cooking gas LPG supply to households will be discontinued if consumers fail to switch to piped natural gas where such connectivity is available, under a new order aimed at accelerating gas network expansion and reducing reliance on a single fuel.
The intriguing bit is that Trump is likely to attend the talks in Islamabad this weekend -- if he does, it will be the clearest signal yet that the US is ready to exit the war with some sort of win to show, since he cannot afford to go for the talks and return empty-handed, notes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the Iran War
China has condemned the attack on an elementary school in Iran and pledged USD 200,000 in emergency humanitarian assistance.
'Mojtaba Khamenei supervised the most recent repression in December 2025 and January 2026 which remains ongoing.'
It remains unclear whether United States President Donald Trump or Iranian authorities will pursue the offer.
This weekend, Donald Trump has begun to say the quiet part out loud -- that he wants to take control of Iran's oil, a formulation more in line with his robber-baron style of international relations.
The urgency for a resolution is underscored by the military situation, as joint operations by Israel and the US have consistently been "targeting Iran's missile systems, launch sites and other critical infrastructure" since the onset of the conflict.
Amid rising tensions in West Asia following a series of strikes and counter-strikes, the United States Embassy in Muscat on Tuesday instructed its staff to shelter in place.
According to Hezbollah, it fired a swarm of drones at radar sites and control rooms at the base on Tuesday, describing the move as retaliation for Israeli strikes.
'He will be a vital cog in the wheel for the Asia Cup.'
Although extensive air attacks have been carried out to destroy most of Iran's defence capabilities, the latter's resilience and sustenance during the war clearly indicate that the US landing force would encounter severe resistance in the operation, explains Commodore Venugopal Vengalil (retd).
Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey met in Islamabad in what analysts say is the formal opening of a new diplomatic formation that could reshape the post-war regional order. Their immediate goal is a ceasefire; their larger ambition is to ensure that neither Iran nor Israel emerges from this war in a dominant position. Pakistan's foreign minister then flew directly to Beijing and mooted a Chinese role as guarantor of any eventual agreement. Prem Panicker continues his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
The Kuwaiti Defence Ministry said all crew members of the crashed aircraft ejected safely and were taken to a hospital for medical check-ups.
Tensions flared in East Asia on Saturday as the Japanese government issued an urgent warning following military activity from Pyongyang. The Prime Minister's Office of Japan, in a post on X, alerted the public to the developing situation, stating: '[Emergency alert] North Korea has launched a suspected ballistic missile. More updates to follow.'
The 'rescue' operation occurred within kilometres of Iran's underground tunnel complex at Isfahan, assessed by the IAEA and US intelligence as holding a substantial portion of the country's 60 per cent enriched uranium stockpile. Retired senior US military officers have highlighted that the mission's footprint -- hundreds of special operators, multiple heavy-lift aircraft deep inside Iran -- appears outsized for recovering a single airman. Prem Panicker continues his must read blog on the Iran War.
'The entire US ecosystem built over decades at the bases in the Gulf region, especially the UAE, costing trillions of dollars have been decimated, dealing a mortal blow to the US Central Command's war capability,' points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Saikia stressed that the Indian cricket board will continue to adhere to the policy formalised by the government.
Gold's glittering rally is expected to continue, with prices likely to climb towards $4,500 per ounce in overseas markets, supported by sustained global central bank purchases, persistent geopolitical tensions, and strong Asian demand, according to a report by Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd. Silver, which has outperformed gold in terms of returns so far this year, is projected to climb to around $75 per ounce, aided by robust industrial consumption and a widening supply deficit, the report said.
'The next two to three weeks will not be decided in Washington.' 'They will be decided in Tehran, in whatever calculation Iran makes about the costs of continued resistance against the costs of appearing to have yielded.'
As days turn into weeks and America loses more planes, as the destruction of trillions of dollars worth military assets piles up, and dead bodies of soldiers return in ever greater numbers in coffins, Trump will have to answer some very difficult questions to save his presidency, notes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's resignation, alleging manipulation of voter lists during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal. She also questioned the abrupt resignation of Governor C V Ananda Bose and accused the BJP of anti-women policies and spreading misinformation.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE are actively pushing Trump to take the war to its bitter finish and 'erase' Iran's presence in the geopolitics of the region. Simply put, the two most powerful Sunni Arab oligarchies are on the same page as Israel. Such interference increases the risk of a breakdown in dialogue between the US and Iran, points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
'Was the five-day pause ever meant to hold, or was it simply another instrument of signaling, of positioning, of buying time in a war where even the pauses are tactical?' asks Prem Panicker in his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
US-Israel air attacks intensified on the seventh day of war, striking Tehran and other Iranian cities.
In the central Iranian city of Isfahan, residents gathered at Imam Square to protest the strikes and to mourn what state media termed the martyrdom of Ayatollah Khamenei. Demonstrators raised slogans including "God is great" as the airstrikes continued.
The delegations from the US and Iran head to Islamabad on Friday, carrying a ceasefire that is already fraying, a Strait that is technically open and practically closed, and a negotiating agenda that would challenge even parties actually negotiating in good faith, which these groups are not. Prem Panicker continues his must read blog on the Iran War.
Indians returning from the Middle East share their experiences of fear and uncertainty as the conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran disrupts travel and daily life, leaving many stranded and facing financial strain.
'What we have yet to see on either the US or the Iranian side is willingness to compromise on their ultimate demands and the flexibility to reach an agreement to end the war.
The six-page section, titled The Ghaznavid Invasions, states that Mahmud of Ghazni conducted 17 campaigns in India, returning each time with large quantities of treasure. The old NCERT class 7 history textbook had a paragraph on Mahmud of Ghazni.
Former leg-spinner Amit Mishra believes Shreyas Iyer's perplexing snub from India's Asia Cup squad was driven by the tactical ploy of maintaining a right and left combination in the middle order in the batting unit.
The pause gives the US time to breathe, to regroup, to move its expeditionary force into position without risk of interception along the way. It gives Iran nothing -- on the ground, attacks against its infrastructure continue apace. Prem Panicker in his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
Referring to local sources, IRNA shared a video clip that it claims shows the downing of the American F-15 fighter jet in Kuwait.
'India was not obliged to protect the Iranian ship.' 'Once the Iranian ship left Indian waters, she was on her own.' 'Guilt tripping India is wrong.'
The Indian rupee weakened against the US dollar due to rising crude oil prices, geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, and foreign fund outflows.
Indian parents express growing anxiety and fear for the safety of their children studying in Iran, as the conflict between Iran and Israel escalates. They are appealing to the Indian government for immediate evacuation.
The Indian government has revised its natural gas allocation priorities, placing LPG production alongside CNG and piped cooking gas at the top, due to disruptions in imported gas supplies caused by the conflict in West Asia.
Alliances fight wars effectively only when they share an endgame. If Israel acted without US knowledge, then the military alliance is operating without real coordination at the level of strategic targeting. Neither picture is reassuring in a war that is no longer regional in its consequences. Prem Panicker continues his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
The escalating conflict in West Asia widened on Monday as Israel launched airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut and other parts of Lebanon, following projectile fire from Lebanese territory into northern Israel. The Israeli Air Force (IAF) said in a series of posts on X that it carried out targeted strikes against senior members of Hezbollah in the Beirut area in response to the projectile fire launched toward Israel, particularly toward the north of the country.
