For weeks, the war skirted the edge of catastrophe without tipping over. Missiles flew, there was much destruction, commanders were assassinated, cities across the Gulf and even in Israel struggled to absorb the shock. But one line held: Energy infrastructure, the arteries of the global economy, remained largely untouched. That is no longer true. Prem Panicker continues his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
'Can a nuclear-armed nation sustain itself indefinitely under overt military rule without catastrophic consequences for itself and the region? History suggests otherwise.'
Amid the ongoing war between Hamas and Israel that has claimed thousands of innocent lives, Israel's Energy Minister has warned that Tel Aviv will not allow humanitarian aid or any essential resources into Gaza until Hamas releases captives, Al Jazeera reported.
A senior Iranian official has stated that Iran has not yet elected a successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Syed Ali Khamenei, following his assassination. The process to elect a new leader is underway, with several candidates being considered.
At least 101 people are missing and 78 are injured after a suspected submarine attack on an Iranian naval ship off Sri Lanka's southern coast on Wednesday, Reuters quoted sources in Sri Lanka's Navy and defence ministry as saying.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for gifting 'Melody' toffees to Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, calling it a 'gimmick' while India faces an 'economic storm'. He accused Modi of prioritising public relations over addressing the struggles of farmers, labourers, and youth, a sentiment echoed by other Congress leaders.
He also shared that Israel has also asked the people of the Shati area in Gaza to vacate the area and for that, millions of text messages and leaflets were sent and dropped in the region.
The Israel Defence Forces on Wednesday said that it struck several Syrian military targets after rockets were fired from Syria toward Israeli communities in the Golan Heights.
Trump claims the United States is performing exceptionally well in its ongoing conflict with Iran, citing weakened Iranian military capabilities and a strong US position.
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.
In the latest attacks, at least 20 people lost their lives and over 450 were injured, authorities said, according to a report by Al Jazeera.
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.
The Israeli Defence Forces on Sunday confirmed that Hamas has released the three hostages and that they have been returned to Israeli territory.
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.
The Indian embassy in Tehran has earlier stated that it is facilitating the safe movement of nationals who wish to leave Iran.
Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) launched targeted ground operations in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, focusing on Hezbollah strongholds and infrastructure identified through precise intelligence.
'The ruling elite are supporting those attacking the people of Gaza.' 'As a nation we should not cooperate with the oppressor regime that is allowing mass starvation as a weapon of war.'
Barel said Israel was currently in a state of war and there was a sequence of challenges and tasks at hand.
He said that IDF was fighting Hamas terrorists and would "dismantle their system," according to The Times of Israel.
Trump has made it clear: the US will not lift its blockade of Iranian ports until a deal is signed.
Direct talks between the US and Iran, mediated by Pakistan, have failed to produce an agreement after 21 hours of negotiations, with disagreements over Iran's nuclear ambitions and sanctions proving insurmountable.
IDF, however, clearly stated that its war was against terror group Hamas and not against the people of Gaza.
The Indian diplomatic missions in Israel and Iran on Sunday issued fresh advisories for its nationals after Tehran launched an unprecedented drone and missile attack on the Jewish state, advising them to stay calm, adhere to safety protocols along with activating additional helpline numbers.
Hezbollah is upset that the IDF exposed their plans to massacre Israelis, so they decided to target innocent civilians by firing a barrage of rockets, the IDF further said.
Fighters from the Israel Defece Forces' (IDF's) Nahal infantry brigade 'identified a terrorist squad hiding in a mosque' in Gaza and, with the help of air support, eliminated the squad as they 'left the mosque and tried to escape through a tunnel'.
Israeli jets carried out "intense" airstrikes on targets in Gaza on Sunday afternoon.
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 United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to impose sanctions on the 'Netzah Yehudah' (Judah Forever) Battalion of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) over allegations that its members committed human rights violations.
'Pakistan's is the only military-controlled nuclear weapons programme in the world.' 'As people get radicalised, the risk of a brigadier or pilot taking matters into their own hands is a real concern.'
The IDF admitted that the map "fails to precisely depict borders".
'There were bodies scattered everywhere, mutilated, women and children that were handcuffed and shot, executed, houses torched and burned, and people who were either burnt inside or suffocated'
India has firmly denied allegations that the US Navy is using its ports to launch attacks against Iran, reaffirming its commitment to strategic autonomy and non-alignment in international conflicts.
In a significant blow to Hezbollah, Israel announced the elimination of Jaafar Khader Faour, commander of the Nasser Unit's Missiles and Rockets Array, in southern Lebanon's Jouaiyya area.
Russia has shared intelligence with Iran that could help Tehran target American warships, aircraft and other military assets in the region, according to United States intelligence assessments cited by media reports, marking the first indication of Moscow's possible involvement in the ongoing conflict. Officials familiar with US intelligence findings said a significant portion of the shared information reportedly includes imagery from Russia's network of surveillance satellites.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on Thursday announced that the operational pause in the Gaza Strip will continue amid the mediator's efforts to continue the process of releasing the hostages and subject to the terms of the framework.
Israel on Monday fired a warning missile on Syria since the 1973 Yom Kippur War, breaking a long standing ceasefire and drawing itself into the ongoing bloody fight between President Bashar Assad's regime forces and the rebels in the strife-torn country. Israel defence forces said they fired the missile as a warning shot on Sunday after a stray mortar from Syria hit a military post in the Golan Heights.
'For weeks, months and years, it would continue to be debated if India should have pushed the early advantage and decapacitated Pakistan militarily.' 'India refused to bite the provocatively proverbial bullet and escalate it into a full-fledged war,' notes N Sathiya Moorthy.
The missile hit a plantation in Margaliot, a moshav (collective agricultural community), in the Galilee region in the north of Israel around 11 am on Monday, Zaki Heller, spokesperson for rescue services Magen David Adom (MDA), told PTI.
'We have also been incredibly clear to Hizbollah and any other malign actors that they should not use this opportunity to widen this conflict. And when we're talking about a humanitarian pause, what we are talking about is conditions that simultaneously ensure that Hamas is not in a position in which it can regroup, restrengthen itself'
A veteran journalist working for Al Jazeera was killed on Wednesday during an Israeli operation in the West Bank city of Jenin, prompting the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Qatar-based network to blame the Israeli Army for her death.
