'If this region destabilises, then we are not far away. This region should not destabilise.'
The delegations from the US and Iran head to Islamabad on Friday, carrying a ceasefire that is already fraying, a Strait that is technically open and practically closed, and a negotiating agenda that would challenge even parties actually negotiating in good faith, which these groups are not. Prem Panicker continues his must read blog on the Iran War.
The logic of war plus the gathering storms in US politics as the midterms loom large leave him with no real alternative but to negotiate, points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
The core issues to be settled -- access to Hormuz, Israel's aggression in Lebanon, the question of Iran's nuclear programme, sanctions relief and compensation -- are thorny enough to require weeks of patient negotiation. The most likely outcome of the opening sessions is that both sides take the measure of each other, establish what is and is not negotiable, and return home without having broken anything. That would count as progress.
India has welcomed the ceasefire between the US and Iran, advocating for de-escalation, dialogue, and diplomacy to secure lasting peace in West Asia.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke with his Portuguese counterpart Paulo Rangel to discuss the West Asia conflict and explore ways to enhance bilateral cooperation.
'Was the five-day pause ever meant to hold, or was it simply another instrument of signaling, of positioning, of buying time in a war where even the pauses are tactical?' asks Prem Panicker in his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
The LPG squeeze on India's restaurant sector is the quotidian face of a deeper crisis.
By all available indications, the White House drafted a face-saving note and handed it, ready-made, to Islamabad. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was supposed to then post it in the guise of a plea urging Trump to extend the deadline by two weeks 'to allow diplomacy to run its course'. Trump would then graciously accept Pakistan's 'request' and declare a ceasefire. Sharif dutifully posted the message on X. Except that he, or whoever was handling the account, forgot to delete the tell-tale first line visible in the edit history: 'Draft - Pakistan's PM Message on X'. Prem Panicker's must read blog on the Iran War.
Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey met in Islamabad in what analysts say is the formal opening of a new diplomatic formation that could reshape the post-war regional order. Their immediate goal is a ceasefire; their larger ambition is to ensure that neither Iran nor Israel emerges from this war in a dominant position. Pakistan's foreign minister then flew directly to Beijing and mooted a Chinese role as guarantor of any eventual agreement. Prem Panicker continues his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar discussed the West Asia conflict's impact on the global economy, particularly energy security, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He also engaged with GCC ambassadors and his Sri Lankan and German counterparts on the same issue.
The statement comes even as Tehran links the issue to ongoing efforts to bring a complete end to hostilities in West Asia involving the United States and Israel.
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.
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval hosted Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman for a dinner meeting, signalling efforts to repair bilateral ties after a period of heightened diplomatic tension.
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.
A 72-year-old man was arrested in Sangli after evading authorities for 45 years in connection with an attempted murder case registered in Mumbai in 1981.
The Indian government has implemented several measures to mitigate external risks, support the balance of payments, and maintain macroeconomic stability amidst the ongoing West Asia crisis, according to Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary.
Three individuals with a history of burglaries and thefts have been banned from entering Beed, Latur, and Dharashiv districts in Maharashtra for three years.
The Congress party has criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's diplomatic efforts following the ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran, facilitated in part by Pakistan. The party claims this development undermines Modi's strategy and exposes his perceived failures in foreign policy.
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.
Taking Kharg would give the US control over virtually all of Iran's oil exports and thus provide significant leverage, notes Prem Panicker in his must read daily blog on the Gulf War. It would also put American troops within range of Iran's remaining missiles, drones, and artillery on a piece of real estate that is just eight square miles in size, and just 15 miles from the Iranian mainland.
This weekend, Donald Trump has begun to say the quiet part out loud -- that he wants to take control of Iran's oil, a formulation more in line with his robber-baron style of international relations.
The pause gives the US time to breathe, to regroup, to move its expeditionary force into position without risk of interception along the way. It gives Iran nothing -- on the ground, attacks against its infrastructure continue apace. Prem Panicker in his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
Police in Delhi are investigating after a decomposed body was found inside a plastic bag near a factory in Moti Nagar. The body is of an unidentified man, and the cause of death is currently unknown.
Pilots and aircraft maintenance engineers are responsible for planning and conducting flights, and these decisions must rely on technical judgment rather than external influence.
The Indian government has dismissed the US Commission on International Religious Freedom's (USCIRF) report on religious freedom in India, stating that it does not recognise the commission's authority to comment on the rights of Indian citizens.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar are actively engaged with world leaders to promote dialogue and diplomacy for peace in West Asia, while also ensuring the safety and well-being of the Indian community in the region.
The body of a 26-year-old man, believed to be a drug addict, was discovered in a park in Uttam Nagar, southwest Delhi. Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding his death.
Delhi should keep all its options open in what is essentially a transitional period in the geopolitics of energy rather than remain a gatekeeper serving Trump's 'America First', suggests Ambasssador M K Bhadrakumar.
TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee has criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his silence regarding Pakistan's defence minister's threat to attack Kolkata. Banerjee accuses Modi of prioritising election campaigns over national security concerns.
HDFC Bank has launched an independent review by external law firms following the abrupt resignation of Chairman Atanu Chakraborty, who cited 'ethical concerns and practices within the bank' as the reason for his departure.
A new report suggests that prolonged conflict in the Middle East could significantly impact India's GDP growth and inflation.
The representative of Iran's Supreme Leader in India expressed gratitude towards Indians, calling India a land of 'loyalty and humanity'.
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.
'Who among Opposition party MPs has so much power that they raise some issue and the government implements it? The answer is no one except Raghav Chadha.'
India has officially refuted claims that Elon Musk was involved in a recent phone call between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump.
'The next two to three weeks will not be decided in Washington.' 'They will be decided in Tehran, in whatever calculation Iran makes about the costs of continued resistance against the costs of appearing to have yielded.'
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is set to revise its directives for bank boards, aiming to alleviate operational burdens and enable them to concentrate on crucial policy and strategic decision-making, thereby enhancing corporate governance in the Indian banking sector.
The Indian government has addressed Parliament regarding a case of an Indian national seeking repatriation from Russia due to the situation in West Asia and the Gulf region. The government also responded to queries about Indian nationals denied entry to South Korea and seafarers detained in foreign countries.
The Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) announced the final results of the Combined State/Upper Subordinate Services Examination 2024 (UPPSC 2024) late Sunday night.
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