Gwadar is viewed as a critical pearl in China's maritime strategy as it would give a permanent logistical footprint near an important choke point - the Strait of Hormuz and the oil rich Persian Gulf, explains Commodore Venugopal Menon (retd).
US President Donald Trump on Sunday announced that the American Navy will henceforth block all maritime traffic entering the Strait of Hormuz.
The harsh truth is that the US is no longer a reliable partner, cautions Ramesh Menon.
The US Navy seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman, escalating tensions as ceasefire talks face uncertainty. The incident raises concerns about the fragile ceasefire and the ongoing blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
On the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor, the Indian military issued a stern warning to Pakistan, stating that no terror sanctuary across the border is safe and that India will continue to dismantle terrorist infrastructure.
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.
For India, China's Indian Ocean power projection, maritime domain awareness, dual-use ports, underwater surveillance, antisubmarinewarfare, naval exercises with Pakistan, pose considerable pressure, depleted India's strategic depth and marginalises Indian role, points out Srikanth Kondapalli.
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.
Dozens of US planes carrying ammunition landed in Tel Aviv, raising concerns about potential strikes on Iran. Negotiations between the US and Iran remain deadlocked over key issues, with both sides issuing fresh demands and warnings.
Uncertainty surrounds the US-Iran talks as a two-week ceasefire approaches its end. Pakistan is attempting to mediate, but tensions remain high after a recent naval incident.
Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi awarded Yudh Seva Medals to Vice Admiral A N Pramod and Vice Admiral Rahul Gokhale for their distinguished service during Operation Sindoor. The operation involved a strong naval response to security concerns, showcasing strategic planning and effective deployment of naval assets.
An Iranian tanker successfully bypassed the US Navy to deliver crude oil to the Asia-Pacific region, despite ongoing tensions and a US blockade.
'We won not (only) because we were able to carry out long-range precision strikes.' 'That is, of course, one of the reasons but we had better situational awareness about what's happening than Pakistan.'
In a significant diplomatic manoeuvre aimed at de-escalating regional tensions, Iran has reportedly submitted a "new proposal" to the United States through Pakistani intermediaries.
The United States and Iran could resume negotiations as early as next week in Islamabad, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal citing people familiar with the matter.
Indian Navy's carrier battle group, submarines and aviation assets were immediately deployed at sea with full combat readiness in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, a top Navy official said on Sunday.
There are enough people at the top decision-making level in Tehran who are still willing to negotiate, provided Trump can create the right setting for the negotiation to acquire a dynamic of its own, points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Amidst the stalling of high-level peace talks between Tehran and Washington, Iran continues to endure severe digital isolation as the nationwide internet blackout reached its 44th day on Sunday.
A court in Thane, Maharashtra, has denied bail to a junior service engineer accused of leaking sensitive information about warships and submarines to Pakistani nationals, citing the serious nature of the offence.
Trump has said he would be present at the signing ceremony in Islamabad. Don't be surprised if the Pakistani hosts make it a grand event in the geopolitics of the region. Trump would love that, notes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Uncertainty surrounds the planned second round of peace talks between the US and Iran in Islamabad, as both sides engage in brinkmanship. Despite Pakistan's security preparations, Iran has yet to confirm its attendance, citing a lack of seriousness from the US in pursuing diplomacy and violations of the ceasefire.
The Indian military also acknowledged suffering some losses but declined to provide the details as the operations are going on.
Iran has announced the Strait of Hormuz is open to commercial vessels, coinciding with a ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel.
Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei on Sunday said that the recent meeting with US officials was the longest round of negotiations they have had in the past year.
...reopen for up to six months. Until then, the Strait stays nearly closed. The world pays. And no one, including the man who started this, can say when it ends, notes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the Iran War.
US President Donald Trump threatened to bomb Iran if a deal is not reached before the ceasefire ends, while Pakistan urged both sides to extend the truce and pursue diplomacy.
'In a volatile global market, India is pursuing a low-risk, low-return policy, akin to a SIP -- slow, steady investment.' 'Pakistan is following a high-risk, high-return policy.'
Trump has made it clear: the US will not lift its blockade of Iranian ports until a deal is signed.
Pakistan's Foreign Office has refuted media reports suggesting that its efforts to facilitate peace talks between the US and Iran have stalled, calling the reports baseless and speculative.
The tanker reportedly switched off its Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponder while navigating the high-risk stretch of the strait and reappeared on tracking systems on March 9.
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.
'The White House lunch that Trump hosted for Munir last year came just after Munir returned from a visit to Iran, at a moment when Israel and Iran were at war.' 'Trump said after that lunch that the Pakistanis know Iran very well. He likely views Munir as a useful interlocutor that can give helpful insights on Iran.'
Eleven Indians along with 172 others have been evacuated by a Pakistani ship from strife-torn Yemen's southeastern city of Mokallah, which is now almost entirely under control of Al-Qaeda militants.
'We need to give Pakistan something serious to think about on its eastern front -- that is the only way to actually help Afghanistan right now.'
'India was not obliged to protect the Iranian ship.' 'Once the Iranian ship left Indian waters, she was on her own.' 'Guilt tripping India is wrong.'
'The Pakistanis called the US state department and said we agree with India on peace.' 'It was then that US President Donald Trump jumped in and took credit for the ceasefire.'
'Some success has been achieved in raising the costs of terrorism for Pakistan.'
In a culture where children take up the profession of their father, her becoming a politician was seen as natural and acceptable.
'They thought nobody would hit Bahawalpur and Muridke because they have nuclear weapons.' 'They used to think India cannot touch our military targets because we are a nuclear weapons country.' 'After Operation Sindoor we have called their bluff.'
Colaba's character is also drawn from its strength. Seventeen years ago, Pakistani terrorists struck here -- at the core of Mumbai's soul -- in the deadliest attack ever seen in this country. 166 civilians and security personnel were killed in a battle that raged on for three days.
