A digital memorial in Iraq now commemorates 33,000 Indian Army soldiers who died in the First World War, addressing a historical omission from the Basra Memorial.
From losing his father to terrorism and watching conflict tear apart his family, to nearly abandoning football before leading Iraq back to the World Cup, Aymen Hussein has overcome obstacles that would have broken many others.
'It will take a long time to recover from the impact of this war.'
If the oil infrastructure is attacked by the United States, the whole area could be flooded with oil, spilling into the Persian Gulf.
'Our diplomacy should have been focused on preventing war and avoiding the inevitable disruptions it would cause, posing a real risk to India's growth story,' asserts former foreign secretary Shyam Saran.
Prem Panicker's Must Read Blog On The Gulf War.
The purge in Washington does not pause the war. Strikes continue, Hormuz remains closed, and Brent crude is still dancing around $109 a barrel. For India, the command chaos in the Pentagon is another layer of uncertainty piled on five weeks of conflict that was already straining every buffer Delhi has.
A French soldier was killed while several others were injured in an attack in the Erbil region of Iraq, French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed. Macron, in a post on X, confirmed that Chief Warrant Officer Arnaud Frion of the 7th Battalion of Chasseurs Alpins lost his life in the attack.
Real Madrid have signed midfielder Bernardo Silva, the LaLiga club said on Wednesday, after the Portuguese international left Manchester City at the end of his contract.
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.
'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.
Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, has been chosen to assume control of the country.
Crude oil prices are projected to fall significantly this year, driven by hopes of a peace deal between the US and Iran, which could lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and a notable drop in Chinese demand for seaborne crude imports.
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.
Both sides have now revealed a preference for escalation over strategic defeat, and each new provocation narrows the space for the next pause. The Touska seizure, Iran's refusal to negotiate under blockade, Israel's strikes on Iranian oil infrastructure -- all of these add up to an increasingly untenable situation. This makes the wild card -- Trump and his motormouth -- more consequential than ever, notes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the Iran War.
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.
The US and Iran have agreed on a roadmap aimed at reaching a final agreement within 60 days after hours-long talks at the Swiss resort of Burgenstock, mediators Qatar and Pakistan said on Monday, describing the progress as "encouraging."
Sagiv Steinberg, CEO of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs (JCFA), described the recent US-Iran peace agreement as a temporary 60-day ceasefire, not a genuine peace deal, suggesting it's timed for the upcoming US midterm elections.
'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.
The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, following a ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran, is expected to significantly ease India's crude oil supply risks, lower freight costs, and reduce inflationary pressures, as global oil prices have already dropped.
The decision marks a significant leadership transition as the administration seeks a commander who 'will implement Donald Trump and Hegseth's vision for the Army'.
Iran has reportedly allowed select "friendly nations" including India and Pakistan limited access to the Strait of Hormuz amid ongoing conflict, easing some energy supply concerns. Here's what the move means for global trade and oil routes.
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.
Much will depend on how the protagonists use the current interlude to work proactively for the beginning of a durable settlement or, on the contrary, prepare for a new round of escalation, points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
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.
India significantly increased its crude oil imports from Russia and the United Arab Emirates in June, securing supplies as the Strait of Hormuz began to reopen, with Russian barrels remaining attractive due to discounts and UAE supplies offsetting earlier uncertainties.
The Democrats in the House and the Senate finally bowed down to the wishes and pressure of the White House, but vowed to carry on the struggle.
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.
'Every day the meter is ticking. Like a time bomb.' Shipping giants are billing Indian exporters up to $3,000 per container in war surcharges -- on cargo that sailed before the war began -- as the Strait of Hormuz shuts down.
'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.
India is the only significant power that all parties trust, or at least do not distrust, notes former defence secretary Ajay Kumar.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, is set to be football's largest tournament but will unfold against a backdrop of significant geopolitical tensions, including conflicts, strained alliances, and complex immigration policies, challenging its traditional role as a symbol of global unity.
When everyone has footage and no one can verify it, the loudest voice wins, notes Prem Panicker who begins a daily blog on the War in the Middle East.
US-Iraq war fears may affect the sentiments in gilts market despite India's strong fundamentals and smooth sailing of the government's market borrowing now at Rs 1,34,036 crore (Rs 1,340.36 billion), PNB Gilts warned
'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.'
Donald Trump issued a fresh warning to Iran as negotiations remained deadlocked over uranium stockpiles, sanctions relief and war compensation. The US President's sharp remarks came just hours after Iranian media revealed Washington's core conditions for resuming negotiations.
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.
Exuding confidence that export target of $50 billion could be met this year, the governmet said on Thursday that the Iraq war will not "adversely" affect India even as it added that a final assessment was yet to be made.
