It is an unusual choice to depute a retired general for the funeral of a revered religious figure but a thoughtful one in an attempt to inject verve into the bilateral relationship and restore the equilibrium in India's West Asian policies, notes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Israel's defence minister Yoav Gallant on Monday ordered a "complete siege" of the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, two days after shock attacks by the militant group killed more than 700 Israeli civilians.
So far, most of the injured have been released. Currently, 106 people are being treated in hospitals, and another 149 are being treated in the emergency room.
The defence minister indicated that major defence deals like building of French Scorpion submarines and multi-role fighter aircraft for the Indian Air Force would go through.
Amid rising tensions, Iran threatens retaliation after the United States confirms sinking its warship, IRIS Dena, in international waters, escalating conflict in the region.
In a major shocker, Israel on Friday said, citing forensic reports that the Bibas brothers, whose corpses were returned by Hamas, were killed with 'bare hands' by Hamas days after they were held captive in the Gaza Strip.
The prime minister also instructed his aides to inform the families of Israeli hostages about the death of the Hamas chief.
The military command clarified in a statement published on X that the aircraft were engaged in error during active combat operations on Sunday.
A new report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) indicates that India has expanded its nuclear arsenal and is developing long-range weapons capable of reaching targets across China, while also maintaining focus on its rivalry with Pakistan.
Amidst rising tensions in the Middle East, an Iranian drone struck a British RAF base in Cyprus, prompting the UK to allow US defensive operations and consider evacuation plans for British citizens in the region.
Iran was the chance to arrange a concert of nations, to actually be a Vishwaguru. Instead, we are watching from the sidelines as Pakistan, the same country that is apparently still at war with Afghanistan, hosts talks between US-Israel and Iran. The irony is hard to miss, points out Amberish K Diwanji.
A source familiar with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's thinking revealed on Saturday that the department "intends to utilise all available authorities to make Iranian assets accessible for rebuilding and repair efforts related to any future damage inflicted by Iran."
Israeli tanks and troops mounted on armoured vehicles were deployed in the region, seeming to suggest that a ground assault on Hamas in their backyard, Gaza, could begin any time soon.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) spokesperson Lt Col Jonathan Conricus said on Wednesday that 1200 Israelis were killed and more than 2,700 wounded and emphasised that the Israeli soldiers are ready to execute mission in Gaza.
Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has shared a footage of Gaza's Al-Shifa hospital that apparently shows hostages taken by Hamas attackers being brought to the hospital.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump outlined key goals of the campaign, including degrading Iran's missile capabilities, dismantling its defence industrial base, eliminating naval and air power, preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear capability, and protecting United States allies such as Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
In a statement, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said, 'Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorise the world.' The IDF said that alongside Nasrallah, the commander of Hezbollah's so-called Southern Front, Ali Karaki, was also killed, along with other commanders, Times of Israel reported.
Hezbollah's executive council's head Safieddine was presumed to be the successor of Hassan Nasrallah after he was killed in September, The Times of Israel reported.
India is the only significant power that all parties trust, or at least do not distrust, notes former defence secretary Ajay Kumar.
Iran on Monday launched multiple missiles at US military installations in Qatar and Iraq, including the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar -- the largest US military base in the region.
16 days into the war, US forces were already running out of ground-attack missiles and Israel is about to expend its entire Arrow interceptor missiles by end March. To be sure, the Iranians are watching closely and that explains their defiant stance that 'Iran will end the war when it decides to do so and when its conditions are met', notes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has offered to host talks between the US and Iran to help resolve the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, following reports of Pakistan's involvement in backchannel diplomacy.
'As result, Netanyahu 'convinced' Trump to go to war with the help of overoptimistic Israeli intelligence assessments, essentially explaining to him that they only need to bomb Iran for 3-4 days, and the regime would then collapse.' 'Rather unsurprisingly, Netanyahu is ever since blaming his own intel service for the entire operation failing.'
US President Donald Trump on Friday referred to the Strait of Hormuz as a potential "gusher" for the world and spoken about "opening it for the world."
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to express Pakistan's support for the Kingdom amidst escalating tensions in West Asia, reaffirming their mutual defence pact and commitment to regional stability.
The Israel Defence Forces said that missile destroyers were deployed 'in accordance with the assessment of the situation, and as part of the increased defence efforts in the region'.
However, Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour countered the Israeli prime minister's claim.
Tensions escalate between Iran and the US over control of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping lane for global oil supplies, as both sides discuss extending a fragile ceasefire.
Italy beat Israel 3-0 at home on Tuesday thanks to a Mateo Retegui double and a late goal from Gianluca Mancini.
Iran has announced the Strait of Hormuz is open to commercial vessels, coinciding with a ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel.
A second United States fifth-generation F-35 fighter jet was struck and downed over central Iran by a modern air-defence system of the Islamic Republic's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), with officials saying the pilot is unlikely to have ejected, Iranian state media reported on Friday.
Donald Trump has warned Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours or face military action, escalating tensions amid regional conflict and impacting global oil supplies.
Referring to local sources, IRNA shared a video clip that it claims shows the downing of the American F-15 fighter jet in Kuwait.
Israeli soldiers entered part of Shifa Hospital in the early hours of Wednesday and began fighting Hamas there, the Israel Defence Forces announced.
The both governments recognise that a ground invasion is very likely and not telling Israel not to launch one at all, but rather hold off to try and see if additional diplomatic efforts can succeed.
Iran has fired 280 ballistic missiles at Israel since early Friday in retaliation to Israeli strikes on its nuclear programme, its military and political officials, and nuclear scientists.
High-level peace talks between the US and Iran, facilitated by Pakistan, aim to de-escalate the conflict in West Asia and potentially reshape regional stability.
An Iranian delegation, led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, concluded high-level meetings in Islamabad, delivering an 'official list of demands' to Pakistani leaders for the US and Israel. This comes as President Trump cancelled his envoys' visit to Islamabad amid ongoing efforts to facilitate peace talks between Iran and the US.
Hegseth said the military campaign, code-named Operation Epic Fury, against Iran is "laser focused" and "decisive," with objectives set directly by the US administration remaining unchanged since the start of operations.
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
