The FBI announced it foiled a potential attack on the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event held at the White House last weekend, leading to multiple arrests. The alleged plot involved using explosive-laden drones and a sniper team to target the event attended by President Trump, with a "second wave" planned to storm the White House gate.
Following a joint attack by the US and Israel on Iran, India is calling for restraint and de-escalation to avoid further military confrontation in the Middle East.
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also declared that Iran would never be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons, regardless of any agreement.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday signed the historic peace deal between the United States and Iran as a guarantor; the agreement will see the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the lifting of the US naval blockade.
'We thought everything will be back to normal within one month. Now it's four months and still a final solution is miles away.'
To be sure, Trump is furious, as the trajectory of the war is in a state of Zugzwang, as chess players call it. Trump and Netanyahu stare at two choices -- retreat in humiliation and concede Tehran's demands -- recognition of its rights, reparations, and binding security guarantees -- or perish in a quagmire, points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
India and Israel have strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms, including cross-border terrorism, and reaffirmed their commitment to combating the threat.
By appearing to privilege ideological affinity over strategic balance, India risks eroding the trust painstakingly built across West Asia. Once the perception takes hold that India's friendship is conditional and transactional, rebuilding credibility will be difficult, warns Amberish K Diwanji.
Indian benchmark stock indices, Sensex and Nifty, recorded their fourth consecutive day of declines, driven by selling in FMCG, financial, and auto sectors. The downturn is attributed to fresh tensions in the Middle East, uncertainty surrounding the US-Iran 60-day ceasefire, and elevated crude oil prices.
Hours after warning that the United States could strike Iran "very hard tonight", President Donald Trump announced to halt planned military action, despite earlier threats to target Kharg Island and other key Iranian oil facilities.
A Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) carrier, chartered by an Indian firm, safely transited through the Strait of Hormuz -- the first Indian LNG tanker to cross the war-hit narrow shipping lane since the war in West Asia broke out more than three and a half months back.
The United States military has intercepted and destroyed two Iranian attack drones that posed an immediate hazard to commercial shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz, according to an official statement by the US Central Command late Saturday.
For years, these two powers operated as "frenemies" in the shadow of Iran's regional influence. The frame here is "The Enemy of My Enemy."
A joint attack by the United States and Israel on Iran has triggered a massive military confrontation in the Middle-East.
'The flip side of this is that he won't hesitate to call out India if he thinks its policies are hurting US economic interests or border US foreign policy goals.'
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.
For Iran's team, the FIFA World Cup has been marred by fraught politics at home, the war with the US, and tensions over whether they would actually be able to set foot on US soil to play their games.
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."
The Gulf countries on Monday welcomed a peace deal reached between the US and Iran to end their conflict and called for protection of maritime routes and freedom of international navigation, including the uninterrupted flow of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that significant progress has been made in negotiations with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping lane. However, President Donald Trump remains cautious, vowing not to accept a 'bad deal' regarding Iran's nuclear programme and regional stability.
A US-Iran memorandum of understanding is set to be signed, outlining sanctions relief, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and a 60-day negotiation window for Iran's uranium enrichment, but US President Donald Trump has underscored the deal's conditional nature, warning of military action if Tehran fails to comply.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Israel to enhance defence and trade cooperation amid Middle East tensions. Discussions will include defence, security, and the situation in Gaza.
Iran's national soccer team, currently training in Tijuana, Mexico, will be able to enter the US the day before each of their three World Cup matches, the Department of Homeland Security said on Tuesday.
A high-stakes memorandum for a 60-day ceasefire between the United States and Iran is in its final stages, with negotiators working to close remaining gaps and avert further escalation in the region, including reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the resumption of Iranian oil sales, according to an Axios report citing US officials.
Iran's football federation has requested FIFA to clarify the timeline for issuing tournament visas after relocating their World Cup training camp from Arizona to Tijuana due to diplomatic friction and visa complications.
Iran's soccer team arrived in the United States for the first time at this World Cup on Sunday, landing at Los Angeles International Airport and holding a press conference on the same day that a peace deal between the two nations was announced.
Donald Trump has issued a stern warning to Iran, threatening massive retaliation if it attacks Qatar again, following reports of an Israeli strike on Iran's South Pars gas field and an attack on Qatar's LNG facilities.
'To suddenly give the impression of taking a position that is hostile to Iran, or, at least, not friendly to Iran, is not a good thing.'
Addressing the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset, Modi offered his deepest condolences to the people of Israel for every life lost in the terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023.
The Congress party has alleged that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein played a role in shaping the India-Israel relationship after 2014, citing email exchanges made public under the 'Epstein Files'.
US President Donald Trump has dismissed media reports suggesting that diplomatic negotiations between Washington and Tehran have stalled, maintaining that dialogue persists despite intensifying geopolitical friction across the Middle East.
Indian benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty closed marginally lower due to profit-taking, following the Reserve Bank of India's decision to keep the repo rate unchanged while lowering its growth expectations for the current fiscal year and forecasting higher inflation.
Indian benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty experienced a significant slump, with the Sensex tumbling 719.08 points, driven by escalating West Asian tensions, a sharp rise in crude oil prices, and a global sell-off in technology stocks.
Julian Quinones gave hosts Mexico a dream start as he scored in the ninth minute in the FIFA World Cup 2026 opening match against South Africa.
A recently finalised peace deal between the US and Iran, set to be signed on June 19, is expected to significantly benefit India's economy by boosting exports to West Asia, stabilising the rupee, and easing inflationary pressures, according to exporters and experts.
Iran's World Cup campaign has left many Iranian-Americans torn between supporting Team Melli and opposing the country's leadership, highlighting deep divisions within Los Angeles' influential Iranian diaspora.
Iran's football federation announced its World Cup ticket allocation has been revoked just days before the tournament, leaving many fans unable to attend.
India and Israel have elevated their relationship to a special strategic partnership, focusing on enhanced cooperation in trade, technology, and defense, while also addressing regional peace initiatives.
A lesson for India is to clearly define objectives beforehand, so that the adversary or other parties do not attempt to mitigate them midway.
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.
