After the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire and expressed hope for lasting peace, Pakistan took much of the credit for playing mediator between the two countries. However, Jonathan Schanzer, Executive Director at the Foundation for Defence of Democracies and former US Treasury counterterrorism analyst, said Pakistan is deeply indebted to China.
Trump has said he would be present at the signing ceremony in Islamabad. Don't be surprised if the Pakistani hosts make it a grand event in the geopolitics of the region. Trump would love that, notes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) withdrew nearly Rs 33,000 crore from Indian equities in May, bringing the total outflow for 2026 to Rs 2.25 lakh crore, driven by weak earnings growth, rupee depreciation, and more attractive opportunities in other global markets.
Donald Trump says several issues were settled during the final day of talks with Xi Jinping covering trade, tariffs, and diplomacy.
Tensions in West Asia have dramatically escalated as Israel launched targeted military operations against Iran, triggering widespread blasts across strategic cities, following earlier Iranian projectile attacks on Israel.
The escalating crisis in West Asia and its impact on the global energy supply chain are expected to dominate deliberations at a two-day meeting of BRICS foreign ministers to be hosted by India.
The Indian rupee weakened against the US dollar due to geopolitical tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz and ahead of the Reserve Bank of India's monetary policy review.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the central government have introduced a package of measures, including tax exemptions for FPIs on government securities and a concessional foreign-exchange swap facility, aiming to attract up to $50 billion in foreign capital. This initiative is designed to strengthen India's balance of payments and potentially cover the projected BoP gap for FY27.
India has significantly reduced Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) prices for international airlines by 27% due to easing global fuel benchmarks, while simultaneously increasing commercial LPG and 5-kg cylinder prices to record highs.
Petrol and diesel prices in India have seen their fourth increase in less than two weeks, pushing cumulative hikes to nearly Rs 7.5 per litre since May 15, reaching their highest levels since May 2022. This surge, driven by global crude oil costs and the Iran conflict, is expected to exacerbate inflationary pressures and raise transportation costs across the economy.
India's wholesale price inflation surged to 8.30 per cent in April, up from 3.88 per cent in March, primarily driven by a significant increase in the prices of fuel, power, and crude petroleum, according to data from the commerce and industry ministry.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has confirmed Tehran's participation in Pakistan-facilitated peace talks with the US in Islamabad, according to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. This development follows a conditional ceasefire agreement and aims to address regional tensions.
Donald Trump has dismissed the ceasefire with Iran as being on 'massive life support', signalling continued tensions between the US and Iran amid ongoing negotiations.
Iran on Monday formally rejected a US-proposed ceasefire deal amid the escalating conflict in West Asia, instead unveiling its own 10-point plan aimed at permanently ending the ongoing war, as reported by the Iranian state news agency Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).
A social media post by Shehbaz Sharif has triggered widespread debate after an apparent 'draft' message was mistakenly published on X and later edited.
Indian benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty, opened lower on Tuesday, driven by a surge in global crude oil prices and continued outflows by Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs), reflecting fragile market sentiment influenced by external factors.
US President Donald Trump on Monday doubled down on his hardline stance against Tehran while dismissing mainstream media narratives regarding his foreign policy motivations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has offered India's support to bring peace to West Asia during talks with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Both countries signed agreements to strengthen strategic collaborations in energy and defence.
Government sources indicate a potential increase in petrol and diesel prices due to rising global crude oil costs and losses incurred from a prolonged freeze on retail rates.
Iran has presented a multi-layered proposal to the US in an attempt to break the deadlock in peace talks, focusing on de-escalation and nuclear programme discussions.
This is the time for India to plan forward fully, with the goal of Atmanirbharata, and energy security. The Persian Gulf is no longer a reliable source, points out Rajeev Srinivasan.
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.
Indian equity benchmarks, Sensex and Nifty, ended lower after a spectacular rally, with the Sensex tumbling 931 points, as renewed tensions in West Asia, particularly the risk to the ceasefire deal after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, dampened investor optimism.
'Markets never fully lose hope. But an important shift could come if the Strait remains closed -- moving from high prices to no prices.'
US President Donald Trump stated that military strikes against Iran could resume if they 'misbehave,' even as he reviews a new proposal from Tehran aimed at ending the paused conflict.
Over the past two decades, India has witnessed several major petrol price hikes, driven by global crude oil fluctuations, economic crises, currency depreciation and geopolitical conflicts. How did we get from Rs 34 to over Rs 100 today
The United States has announced new sanctions targeting Iran's 'shadow oil economy,' accusing Tehran of using illicit oil revenues to fund the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its regional activities.
Iran has put forward a comprehensive 10-point framework that it says forms the basis of a complete resolution.
Dozens of US planes carrying ammunition landed in Tel Aviv, raising concerns about potential strikes on Iran. Negotiations between the US and Iran remain deadlocked over key issues, with both sides issuing fresh demands and warnings.
The Indian rupee depreciated by 52 paise to settle at 93.35 against the US dollar, driven by failed US-Iran peace talks, surging crude oil prices due to a potential US blockade of Iranian ports, and a global flight to the greenback. This geopolitical uncertainty is also leading to foreign capital withdrawal from domestic equities.
Trump also brushed off criticism of his expletive-laden references to causing destruction in Iran if they failed to make a deal to end the war.
'We caught General Pervez Musharraf talking over the phone with his Chief of General Staff Lieutenant General Mohammad Aziz. Musharraf was visiting China; Aziz was in Rawalpindi.'
The US has seized an oil tanker, 'Skywave', linked to Iran in the Indian Ocean, as part of efforts to disrupt Iran's oil shipments and enforce sanctions. The vessel was part of a network transporting sanctioned Iranian crude oil, with the seizure occurring amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran.
US President Donald Trump has shared an article suggesting that the option of enforcing a naval blockade was available in the context of Iran, as peace talks ended in a stalemate in Islamabad after differences of opinion arose between the two parties on the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's nuclear capacities.
Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei on Sunday said that the recent meeting with US officials was the longest round of negotiations they have had in the past year.
US Vice President JD Vance is set to arrive in Islamabad on Monday evening to lead a high-level American delegation in a second round of ceasefire negotiations with Iran, CNN reported, citing White House on Sunday.
There are enough people at the top decision-making level in Tehran who are still willing to negotiate, provided Trump can create the right setting for the negotiation to acquire a dynamic of its own, points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said his trip to Islamabad was "very productive" and involved "good consultations" with Pakistan's top leadership amid uncertainty over the second round of peace talks to resolve the war in West Asia.
Indian-flagged vessels are navigating the Strait of Hormuz safely despite ongoing tensions in the region, ensuring the continued flow of vital energy supplies to India.
Trump has made it clear: the US will not lift its blockade of Iranian ports until a deal is signed.
