India has denied making any payments to Iran to secure safe passage for its vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, following reports that Indian vessels were fired upon in the region.
Ahead of the expiry on Tuesday of the two-week ceasefire declared by US President Donald Trump in the conflict with Iran, US media outlets reported on Sunday that negotiators Steve Witkoff, special envoy for peace missions and Jared Kushner will head to Islamabad for talks with Iran.
The Iranian Embassy in South Africa has launched a biting social media attack on US President Donald Trump, using a viral maritime audio clip to label him an "idiot".
The US has threatened to prosecute those buying or selling sanctioned Iranian oil and has announced a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz after peace talks failed.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for the Strait of Hormuz to remain open for normal passage of ships, describing it as an 'international waterway' amid rising tensions between the US and Iran.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has emphasised India's commitment to safe maritime transit and condemned attacks on merchant shipping amidst the ongoing West Asia conflict and global energy market disruptions.
US President Donald Trump on Sunday announced that the American Navy will henceforth block all maritime traffic entering the Strait of Hormuz.
The United States has clarified that its naval blockade in West Asia targets Iranian ports and coastline, not the Strait of Hormuz, applying to all ships regardless of nationality. US officials warned Iran against threatening commercial ships and hinted at ceasefire negotiations as an alternative.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday announced that France and the United Kingdom will jointly lead a multinational initiative to restore free and secure navigation in the Strait of Hormuz amid uncertainty over the virtual control of the strategic waterway between the US and Iran.
'Even if the war ends tomorrow, which is unlikely, and we go back to the pre-war status quo, the world will still need some time to get over the sudden shock of oil price increases.'
Trump's remarks marks one of the most direct rebukes yet from Washington to its allies over their refusal to support US-led military operations in Iran and over the energy crisis triggered by disruptions in the Persian Gulf.
'Neither do the Israelis. The two attacking parties have very little economic interest in Hormuz.'
The diplomatic intervention follows various media reports which attributed comments to Iranian lawmaker Alaeddin Boroujerdi, suggesting that merchant vessels were being charged USD 2 million for safe passage through the "conflict-hit Hormuz."
'US and Iran have not annulled the ceasefire, and the possibility of continuing negotiations remains open.'
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Saturday criticised the United States over its stance on Russian oil, claiming Washington was now "begging" countries across the globe, including India, to purchase Russian crude.
Iran has announced the Strait of Hormuz is open to commercial vessels, coinciding with a ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations issued a warning noting that the incident took place approximately 15 nautical miles north of Sharjah.
The US blockade on Iranian ports is aimed to curb Iranian energy exports, thereby crippling its economy to force Iran back to the negotiating table, points out Commodore Venugopal Menon (retd).
Which are the world's most vital straits, important to shipping?
India has refuted claims of payment issues hindering crude oil imports from Iran, clarifying that refiners have the flexibility to source oil from various global suppliers. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas addressed reports of a tanker rerouting to China, emphasising standard industry practices and secured oil requirements.
An Indian national has reportedly been killed in an attack carried out by Iran using a 'suicide' boat against a US-owned oil tanker near Iraq. The incident has raised concerns about the safety of seafarers in the region.
Equipped with advanced weaponry, the HMS Anson is fitted with "Tomahawk Block IV land-attack missiles" with a range of 1,600 km and "Spearfish heavyweight torpedoes," providing formidable offensive capabilities.
The Indian government is considering additional relief packages for vulnerable sectors like MSMEs to mitigate the impact of the ongoing West Asia crisis on the economy and inflation.
28 Indian vessels carrying 778 seafarers are stranded in the Persian Gulf, prompting government monitoring and coordination to ensure their safety and security.
Trump has made it clear: the US will not lift its blockade of Iranian ports until a deal is signed.
The clock on the ceasefire is running out. But everyone's already whispering about round two, possibly as soon as this weekend.
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.
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
The ceasefire is still technically holding, to the extent that no overt hostilities have been reported yet, but the rhetoric has hardened dangerously. The week ahead will also clarify whether the Islamabad failure was a negotiating tactic or whether Washington has genuinely locked itself into a position from which the only exits are climb-down, escalation, or the slow bleed of a new status quo that nobody chose and nobody controls. Prem Panicker continues his must read blog on the Iran War.
If the oil infrastructure is attacked by the United States, the whole area could be flooded with oil, spilling into the Persian Gulf.
Fight on toward goals that keep receding, or exit with most objectives unmet. Trump is agitated, his poll numbers falling below the Plimsoll line, his base fractured between those who back the war and those who remember that he campaigned on ending them.
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.
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.
'I suspect that Bangladesh being given permission stuck in India's official craw, and this story was an attempt to balance the scales by giving the impression that a similar waiver had been given to India as well.'
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.
