Pakistan capital Islamabad is emerging as the leading venue for the next round of technical negotiations between the US and Iran, a media report said Sunday.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) asserted full control over the Strait of Hormuz, claiming two oil tankers turned back after a fire, and warned countries supporting the US against interference in the strategic waterway.
It is an unusual choice to depute a retired general for the funeral of a revered religious figure but a thoughtful one in an attempt to inject verve into the bilateral relationship and restore the equilibrium in India's West Asian policies, notes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Iran launched retaliatory military strikes targeting Israel and American military bases across the region, including in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan.
The United States has launched a fresh wave of precision strikes, hitting approximately 90 Iranian military targets deep inside Iran, further intensifying a rapidly expanding regional conflict, with Tehran warning of severe retaliation.
US President Donald Trump has claimed that Washington has the capability to liquidate the surviving Iranian leadership with "one shot" if it desired, pointing to the congregation of top Iranian officials attending the week-long state funeral for the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who lost his life in joint US-Israeli air strikes on February 28.
The United States conducted retaliatory strikes against Iran, targeting over 80 sites, after accusing Tehran of attacking commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran condemned the US decision to revoke a temporary suspension of sanctions on Iranian oil sales.
Iran has extended an invitation to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and other party leaders, including Salman Khurshid and Pawan Khera, to attend the burial ceremonies of its late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The ceremonies are scheduled from July 5 to 9 across various Iranian cities. India will also be represented by Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita and Bihar Governor Ata Hasnain.
US President Donald Trump on Friday (local time) said that he has "left instructions" to launch a massive military action against Iran, if Tehran succeeds in the plan of assassinating him, while stressing that the country would be bombed "at levels they have never seen before", New York Post reported.
US President Donald Trump has declared the ceasefire agreement with Iran effectively concluded, stating he no longer wishes to engage in diplomatic dealings with Tehran and labelling Iranians as 'liars, cheats and sick people' following recent military actions.
Following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, his son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, issued a "revenge list" featuring 13 world leaders, including Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu, with a graphic depicting them as targets, amidst escalating regional hostilities and US reports of an Iranian assassination plot against Trump.
Donald Trump has strongly refuted claims of a munitions shortage and denied any confrontation with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, labelling the reports as "fake news" and asserting the nation's robust military production capabilities.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in US-Israeli strikes on February 28.
US Vice-President J D Vance's unexpected phone call to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 8 has ignited speculation about a potential diplomatic overture, possibly seeking India's support amidst the escalating US-Iran conflict and a shifting global power landscape, suggests Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
India is navigating a complex diplomatic landscape, attempting to balance its 'forever honeymoon' with the Israel-UAE-Bahrain axis against its historical ties with Iran, as evidenced by recent high-level visits and evolving geopolitical realignments in the Middle East, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Since the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East, 16 Indian nationals, including 10 seafarers, have lost their lives, and 75 have been injured. Separately, 30 Indian nationals were among 52 individuals arrested and deported by US Border Patrol during 'Operation Checkmate' for allegedly being in the United States illegally.
The Indian prime minister has been invited by President Pezeshkian to the burial ceremonies, the diplomatic sources said.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti has received an official invitation to attend the state funeral of Iran's slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran. She will travel to Iran as a distinguished guest of India to pay her final respects, highlighting the historical and strategic ties between the two nations.
Kuwait's air defence systems engaged 'hostile aerial targets', Jordan intercepted four missiles, and Bahrain sounded warning sirens after Iran launched retaliatory strikes targeting US military installations in the region.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Saturday (local time) announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz "until further notice," stating that the strategic waterway would remain shut until the United States ends its "interference" in the West Asia region, Press TV reported.
Thousands of mourners gathered at Tehran's Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla on July 4, 2026 for a farewell ceremony honouring Iran's late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Khamenei was killed on February 28 in Israeli and US airstrikes. Grieving crowds carried his portrait and expressed raw emotion as Iran continues its multi-day state funeral proceedings for the slain leader.
US President Donald Trump has abruptly withdrawn from a peace deal with Iran, citing fresh intelligence of Iranian assaults on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. The decision, made just a fortnight after celebrating the deal, has led to a significant military escalation in the region, with the US launching extensive counter-operations against Iranian military infrastructure.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi mocked US President Donald Trump's claim of the US being the 'guardian' of the Strait of Hormuz, asserting that Iran has always been and will remain the sole guardian, while also suggesting that any entity providing security should be compensated, though Trump's proposed '20 per cent' levy is 'too much'.
Iran's state broadcaster IRIB reported that the Qatari oil tanker "Al-Raqayat" was targeted in the Strait of Hormuz after allegedly ignoring Iranian warnings and attempting to transit with US Navy support. This incident follows the expiry of a US-Iran agreement to halt strikes and comes amidst escalating tit-for-tat attacks in the vital waterway, raising concerns about maritime security.
Pakistan and Qatar have successfully mediated separate meetings between US and Iranian negotiators in Doha, reporting positive progress on a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at West Asian peace. Further discussions are planned after the funeral of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Donald Trump has issued a severe warning to Iran, threatening 'decimation' with '1,000 missiles' if the nation pursues alleged assassination plots against him, while Iranian officials accuse the US of violating a MoU amidst ongoing diplomatic talks.
Malicious cyber activity has disrupted technology at water and wastewater facilities in at least seven US states, forcing utilities to revert to manual operations, with authorities actively probing whether Iranian-linked hackers are responsible.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) has launched extensive precision strikes across multiple Iranian military installations, deploying both one-way attack aerial and sea drones for the first time, to degrade Tehran's ability to disrupt international maritime trade in the Strait of Hormuz.
Tensions in West Asia have dramatically escalated as Israel launched targeted military operations against Iran, triggering widespread blasts across strategic cities, following earlier Iranian projectile attacks on Israel.
US President Donald Trump on Monday claimed that Iran had requested a meeting with the US after the recent military escalation between the two sides over the Strait of Hormuz and announced that talks with Tehran would take place in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday, despite Iranian officials stating that no technical meetings have been scheduled this week.
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.
Iran on Tuesday said that the Islamic Republic has "no plans" to hold any meetings with the United States in the coming days at any level, even as diplomatic engagements continue separately in Doha on the related implementation of the 14-point memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at ending the hostilities in West Asia.
US President Donald Trump claimed on Tuesday that Tehran has consented to long-term, comprehensive monitoring of its nuclear infrastructure. Concurrently, Washington will ease shipping constraints in the Strait of Hormuz and release bound financial concessions, subject to stringent American oversight.
The harsh truth is that the US is no longer a reliable partner, cautions Ramesh Menon.
'Actual implementation of the 14-point agreement is proving hard to achieve let alone striking and sustaining a long-term treaty or deal.'
Atlanta Police are implementing enhanced security measures for the World Cup semi-final between Argentina and England, a match deemed high-risk due to the historical animosity between the two nations.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has launched missile and drone strikes on four US military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain. This action is in retaliation for recent American strikes against targets in Iran, which the IRGC condemned as a "violation of commitments" and an "anti-civilian act." The IRGC has warned of an expanded "crushing response" if US aggression continues.
As Tehran and Washington continue with their engagements following the signing of the MoU earlier this month, sources have told Al Arabiya that the two are set to hold the next round of negotiations in Switzerland on June 28 and 29.
United States President Donald Trump has threatened to resume 'very hard' attacks on Iran, expressing frustration over Tehran's delays in signing a negotiated deal and citing the downing of a US Apache helicopter as grounds for renewed military action. Russia has called for restraint and a return to diplomacy amidst escalating tensions.
Formerly Iran's second-largest oil customer, Indian financial institutions were forced to withhold crude oil payments following the 2018 US sanctions.
