Amid escalating tensions with Iran, President Trump is urging nations dependent on Middle Eastern oil to deploy warships to the Strait of Hormuz to safeguard critical global energy supplies.
Donald Trump claims a senior defence official urged military action against Iran, revealing escalating tensions and ongoing negotiations in the Middle East.
Iranian representatives have conveyed to the Trump administration that they are unwilling to resume talks with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, preferring instead to engage with Vice President J D Vance.
Delegations from the US and Iran have arrived in Islamabad for talks aimed at resolving the conflict between the two nations, following a ceasefire brokered by Pakistan. The negotiations are being closely watched due to their potential impact on regional security and global diplomacy.
Earlier, another state media outlet showed a display of part of the IRGC's drone arsenal inside a large tunnel. Coinciding with the release of these visuals, the IRGC confirmed the launch of the 48th phase of its retaliatory campaign.
The Indian government addressed opposition concerns regarding the West Asia crisis in an all-party meeting, outlining its strategy for ensuring the security of the Indian diaspora, fulfilling energy needs, and maintaining diplomatic relations with key partners. The government also dismissed Pakistan's reported mediation efforts.
Iran was the chance to arrange a concert of nations, to actually be a Vishwaguru. Instead, we are watching from the sidelines as Pakistan, the same country that is apparently still at war with Afghanistan, hosts talks between US-Israel and Iran. The irony is hard to miss, points out Amberish K Diwanji.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened to continue targeting Iranian leaders, claiming recent successes in eliminating key figures. He asserted that Israel, with US support, aims to undermine the Iranian regime and empower the Iranian people.
'As result, Netanyahu 'convinced' Trump to go to war with the help of overoptimistic Israeli intelligence assessments, essentially explaining to him that they only need to bomb Iran for 3-4 days, and the regime would then collapse.' 'Rather unsurprisingly, Netanyahu is ever since blaming his own intel service for the entire operation failing.'
The Indian government informed Parliament that India and the US are engaged in negotiations for a mutually beneficial multi-sectoral bilateral trade agreement. The two countries also cooperate on strategic, economic, and defense matters, managing divergences through high-level dialogues.
The Israeli military said the strike dismantled the bunker during ongoing operations against Iranian military infrastructure.
Russian air defence units reportedly destroyed 28 Ukrainian drones targeting Moscow, marking the second consecutive day of such incidents. Airport operations were temporarily suspended due to the drone attacks.
16 days into the war, US forces were already running out of ground-attack missiles and Israel is about to expend its entire Arrow interceptor missiles by end March. To be sure, the Iranians are watching closely and that explains their defiant stance that 'Iran will end the war when it decides to do so and when its conditions are met', notes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
For India, much is at stake: Crucial energy supplies traversing the Strait of Hormuz, the fate of its 10 million citizens living and working in West Asia -- who send generous remittances home -- and its major trade links with the region.
Tensions flared in East Asia on Saturday as the Japanese government issued an urgent warning following military activity from Pyongyang. The Prime Minister's Office of Japan, in a post on X, alerted the public to the developing situation, stating: '[Emergency alert] North Korea has launched a suspected ballistic missile. More updates to follow.'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a meeting of the Cabinet Committee of Security (CCS) in Delhi to discuss the global situation following the attack on Iran and the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
'It was diminishing even before Trump came to power.' 'The US was at the centre of the global economy. That position is going to become less and less important and less central.'
The UAE consulate in Erbil, located in Iraq's Kurdish region, suffered structural damage in the aerial attack. Officials said there were no casualties.
According to Hezbollah, it fired a swarm of drones at radar sites and control rooms at the base on Tuesday, describing the move as retaliation for Israeli strikes.
Sreenidi Deccan FC and Shillong Lajong FC played to a goalless draw in their Indian Football League (IFL) 2025-26 match, with both goalkeepers putting in strong performances.
The threat has raised concerns about possible asymmetric attacks outside the region. Iran has also stepped up attacks on energy infrastructure in Gulf countries.
Rescue operations are currently underway, and the circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation, the command said.
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has reviewed the evolving situation in West Asia, directing departments to assist Indian nationals affected by recent developments and emphasizing the need for dialogue and diplomacy.
The Indian government and opposition parties are set for a showdown in Parliament over a Constitution amendment bill concerning the implementation of the women's quota law and the delimitation exercise. The Opposition is concerned about the potential impact of delimitation on the political representation of southern states.
The BJP has released its election manifesto for West Bengal, promising a hardline stance on infiltration, financial assistance for women and unemployed youth, and the implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission for state employees.
The US embassy in Saudi Arabia and the US consulate in Dubai were reportedly targeted by suspected Iranian drone attacks amid heightened tensions in the Middle East following US and Israeli strikes on Iran.
The modern war is about quality over quantity, points out Mihir S Sharma.
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.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Israeli Parliament, reaffirming India's support for Israel in the face of terrorism and expressing support for the Gaza peace initiative.
The operation reportedly extended to American assets, with the IRGC claiming that "US military bases in the region, namely Ali al-Salem in Kuwait, as well as al-Minhad and al-Dhafra in the United Arab Emirates, were also targeted."
Police in Haryana have arrested seven individuals, including the suspected mastermind, in connection with a robbery of gold and cash from a bullion trader's employees. The accused are part of an interstate gang involved in organised robberies across the NCR, Haryana, and Madhya Pradesh.
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 Delhi Police organised various awareness drives, self-defence training sessions, and community outreach programmes to commemorate International Women's Day, focusing on women's safety, legal literacy, and community involvement.
David Perdue said in a post on X that the US-India relationship delivers real results through close cooperation in diverse areas, including defence, energy and through Quad engagement.
As the negotiations continued, the Iranian government said on social media that "talks between Iran and the US in Islamabad entered the expert-level stage as economic, military, legal, and nuclear committees joined in".
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has offered to host talks between the US and Iran to help resolve the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, following reports of Pakistan's involvement in backchannel diplomacy.
Residents across the Gulf region, including the UAE, Bahrain, and Qatar, experienced fear and disruption following attacks, leading to flight suspensions and heightened security measures.
The United States is facing growing discontent from its Gulf allies after several countries in the region complained that they were not given advance notice of the US-Israel strike on Iran that triggered widespread retaliatory attacks, according to media reports.
The Battle Axe Division of the Army's Southern Command organised an academia-industry interaction on drone innovation in Jaisalmer, promoting collaboration for emerging defence technologies.
In the Indo-Pacific's new era -- where perception shapes reality faster than treaties -- the real entrapment is not of China or the United States. It is the test Japan has set for itself -- and whether partners like India, acting as balancers rather than accelerants, can help ensure that the story ends in stability, points out Varun Arya.
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