US President Donald Trump stated the war with Iran would end 'soon,' citing significant military gains and minimal remaining targets. This contradicts earlier administration statements about an open-ended timeline.
An Iranian delegation, led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, is expected to arrive in Islamabad for the second round of peace talks with the US, according to Pakistani media reports. This follows a phone call between Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Araghchi regarding the US-Iran ceasefire and Pakistan's diplomatic efforts.
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Washington is considering a "joint venture" with Iran to secure the Strait of Hormuz, following his announcement of a two-week ceasefire.
United States President Donald Trump warned Iran of potential strikes on its infrastructure, including bridges and electric power plants, saying the US military 'hasn't even started destroying what's left in Iran'.
India and the US have agreed to work together to draft a comprehensive framework on defence cooperation, aimed at structuring the bilateral collaboration for the 2025-2035 period. The framework will cover multiple domains in land, air, maritime and space, and will focus on intelligence, logistics, operational and industrial engagement. The agreement comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's planned trip to Washington, where he is expected to meet with US President Donald Trump to discuss boosting India-US cooperation in the areas of trade, energy and defence.
Amid rising tensions, Iran threatens retaliation after the United States confirms sinking its warship, IRIS Dena, in international waters, escalating conflict in the region.
Each time a deadline almost runs out, President Trump hands out a new one.
In a coordinated military operation, the United States and Israel launched airstrikes against Iran, escalating tensions amid stalled nuclear talks and claims of resumed nuclear activities, resulting in the death of Iran's supreme leader.
Satellite imagery and expert analysis suggest that a deadly explosion at a school in southern Iran last week was likely caused by a United States airstrike that also targeted a nearby compound linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to media reports.
Araghchi remarked that US messaging currently echoes the Vietnam War-era "Five O'Clock Follies," suggesting a systematic misrepresentation of military progress.
Top government sources in India have dismissed claims that the Indian Navy provided intelligence to the US regarding an Iranian frigate that was sunk by a US submarine.
US defence officials confirmed that an F-35 did perform an emergency landing after an Iranian surface-to-air missile (SAM) barrage, with the pilot safe and an investigation underway.
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.
Gold prices are expected to remain volatile next week as investors track geopolitical developments in the Middle East and key macroeconomic data releases that could shape the sentiment in the domestic market, analysts said.
Amidst escalating regional tensions, Sri Lanka is carefully considering its response after a second Iranian ship requested entry into its waters following a reported US submarine attack on an Iranian frigate near Galle.
India granted emergency docking to an Iranian ship, IRIS Lavan, in Kochi due to technical issues, accommodating its crew amidst regional naval activity and tensions.
A senior US official has emphasised India's crucial role in maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and ensuring a balanced power dynamic in Asia, advocating for stronger defence ties between the two nations.
The modern war is about quality over quantity, points out Mihir S Sharma.
The core issues to be settled -- access to Hormuz, Israel's aggression in Lebanon, the question of Iran's nuclear programme, sanctions relief and compensation -- are thorny enough to require weeks of patient negotiation. The most likely outcome of the opening sessions is that both sides take the measure of each other, establish what is and is not negotiable, and return home without having broken anything. That would count as progress.
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 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.
Sri Lanka is deliberating appropriate action after a second Iranian ship sought entry to its territorial waters, following an attack on an Iranian frigate near the island nation. The government is focused on safeguarding lives and regional peace.
Sri Lanka has allowed a second Iranian ship, IRINS Bushehr, to dock at Trincomalee port after it reported engine failure, following the sinking of an Iranian frigate. The move comes amidst heightened regional tensions and a joint US-Israeli attack on Iran.
The vessel sank on March 4, 2026, approximately 20 nautical miles west of Galle, after reportedly being struck by a torpedo from a United States submarine.
'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.'
What we are watching is something different: A fog manufactured and maintained by the people who started the war, so that the question of why it was started never has to be answered, observes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the war in the Middle East.
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.
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.
Iran is fighting a different war: Older, slower, and in some ways more dangerous. Iran doesn't need to shoot down an F/A-18. It only needs to make the Strait of Hormuz feel dangerous long enough for insurance markets, shipping companies, and oil futures traders to do the rest. Prem Panicker continues his must-read daily blog on the war in the Middle East.
India and the US have signed a framework agreement for defence cooperation for the next 10 years, enhancing their partnership and aiming for regional stability.
When missiles fly in this region, they are never just aimed at military targets.
'I suspect that Bangladesh being given permission stuck in India's official craw, and this story was an attempt to balance the scales by giving the impression that a similar waiver had been given to India as well.'
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.
The United States on Wednesday struck an alleged drug vessel, an eighth such attack by the US, on the Pacific side of South America, according to Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, as reported by CBS News.
United States President Donald Trump on Friday said that in response to Islamic State's killing of two Americans in Syria, the US retaliated by striking the nation.
Since May 10, when Trump announced on social media that India and Pakistan had agreed to a "full and immediate" ceasefire after a "long night" of talks mediated by Washington, he has repeated his claim over 60 times that he "helped settle" the tensions between the two neighbours.
United States President Donald Trump on Saturday said the US would 'run' Venezuela until a safe transition of power is put in place, hours after American forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and flew him out of the country in a dramatic military operation.
Since May 10, when Trump announced on social media that India and Pakistan had agreed to a "full and immediate" ceasefire after a "long night" of talks mediated by Washington, he has repeated his claim over 70 times that he ended the conflict between India and Pakistan.
United States President Donald Trump said that China 'knows the consequences' if it attacks Taiwan, asserting that Chinese President Xi Jinping understands the situation 'very well'.
He added that current measures, including an oil quarantine and large naval deployments, are aimed at pressuring the Venezuelan regime.
