On Monday, October 13, 2025, US President Donald Trump delivered remarks to the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem.
Chaffing under public ridicule in the US as well as internationally for having 'lost' the war, Trump is under immense pressure to do something, cautions Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
It may now be time to question the price India is paying for Israel's disregard of the serious undermining of India's energy security, asserts former foreign secretary Shyam Saran.
'Much will depend on the position of the United States.' 'It will have to be seen to what extent the US will be more interested in achieving some form of a deal and to what extent Israel will be allowed to continue to carry out both airstrikes and the killing of Iranian officials.'
'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 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.
United States President Donald Trump has denied that he recently told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stop being so 'f***ing negative' and 'take the win' after Hamas accepted parts of Washington, DC's proposal for ending the Gaza war, while saying that it would have to hold talks regarding other portions of the plan, The Times of Israel reported.
Dimona and Ahad came under intense Iranian missile fire over the weekend as the conflict entered a far more volatile phase. These photographs capture the aftermath of the strikes -- thick smoke rising over the cities, emergency teams rushing to the scenes and residents caught in the chaos that followed.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with leaders from Oman, Kuwait, and Qatar, expressing concern over attacks in West Asia and discussing the safety of the Indian community.
The question is whether the clocks allow enough time for two deeply mistrustful sides to get there, and whether the surface calm holds long enough for the paddling to produce something before the ceasefire ends on April 22, notes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the Iran War.
Addressing the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset, Modi offered his deepest condolences to the people of Israel for every life lost in the terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023.
The agreement marks the biggest breakthrough in months in the devastating two-year-old war.
'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.
If the Iranian regime needs to be punished for promoting quasi-terrorist outfits like Hezbollah and Hamas, then what about Pakistan which has spent decades exporting terror around the world, killing thousands, particularly in Afghanistan and India? asks M R Narayan Swamy.
Among major engagements in 2026 is the visit of the European Union leadership, chief guests at the Republic Day parade.
'Our diplomacy should have been focused on preventing war and avoiding the inevitable disruptions it would cause, posing a real risk to India's growth story,' asserts former foreign secretary Shyam Saran.
Alliances fight wars effectively only when they share an endgame. If Israel acted without US knowledge, then the military alliance is operating without real coordination at the level of strategic targeting. Neither picture is reassuring in a war that is no longer regional in its consequences. Prem Panicker continues his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on social media, "With God's help we will bring them all home."
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has affirmed that the United States and his administration have achieved nearly total dominance over Iranian airspace following a series of coordinated military strikes.
India's handling of the Iran crisis reflects a growing strain between strategic autonomy and geopolitical alignment, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
'India's ties with Israel have to do with defence and general technology.' 'The war changes nothing in what India and Israel hope to get from the relationship.' 'It's not as though India will get significantly more benefits from Iran if India abandons Israel at this time.'
'What we have yet to see on either the US or the Iranian side is willingness to compromise on their ultimate demands and the flexibility to reach an agreement to end the war.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to Israel is facing political complications as opposition leader Yair Lapid threatens to boycott his parliamentary address unless the Supreme Court chief is invited, adhering to standard protocol.
Following reports of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's death, widespread protests erupted in Kashmir, with demonstrators expressing strong anti-US and anti-Israel sentiments.
Mamdani has repeatedly said that he would honour the ICC warrant and arrest Netanyahu at the airport itself, if he ever visits the city.
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.
United States President Donald Trump held a New Year bash at his Florida resort on Thursday and when he was quizzed about his wish for the New Year he said he wanted peace on Earth, reported Fox News.
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.
Sonia Gandhi has criticised the Modi government's silence on the assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader, arguing it raises doubts about India's foreign policy direction and credibility.
Trump and Netanyahu said on Monday that they have agreed on a plan to end the war in Gaza, but it is unclear whether Hamas will accept the terms.
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.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday nominated United States President Donald Trump for the Israel Prize, the country's highest civilian honour, hailing him as 'the greatest friend that Israel has ever had in the White House'.
Trump may strike. He may announce productive talks and extend again. He may do both at the same time. Iran will not open the Strait on someone else's terms, so no matter what happens, that problem will remain unsolved. And the IRGC will still be collecting its $2 million toll from every ship bold enough to ask permission to pass.
'The entire US ecosystem built over decades at the bases in the Gulf region, especially the UAE, costing trillions of dollars have been decimated, dealing a mortal blow to the US Central Command's war capability,' points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
The LPG squeeze on India's restaurant sector is the quotidian face of a deeper crisis.
'Despite the large number of missiles and drones we have already launched, we still possess reserves and missile cities whose doors have not yet been opened,' says Iran's Consul-General Saeid Reza Mosayeb Motlagh.
Aseem Chhabra lists his top 10 films from this year's Sundance festival, a blend of narratives and documentaries made in the US and other parts of the world.
They died when an Israeli strike hit their home in the at-Twam neighbourhood of Gaza City.
India and Israel on Tuesday signed a defence pact that will facilitate sharing of advanced technologies and promote co-development and co-production of key weapon systems and military hardware, in a major move to further bolster their already robust strategic ties.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the foundation of India-US relationship is "very solid" and both sides should find common ground to resolve the tariff issue. He also highlighted the strong defense cooperation between India and Israel.
