India would confront a more entrenched China, a less dependable United States, and a regional order increasingly shaped by great-power bargaining over which it exercises limited influence, notes Amberish K Diwanji.
The Congress party has criticised the Modi government over Pakistan's involvement in US-Iran peace talks, calling it a 'monumental setback' for India's diplomatic efforts.
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 announcement came after Hamas consulted with other Palestinian factions. It precedes a planned visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington, where U.S. President Donald Trump is pushing for an end to the war, now in its 21st month, Al Jazeera reported.
Indian benchmark equity indices, Sensex and Nifty, experienced a decline in early trade, ending a three-day rally, primarily due to heavy selling in IT stocks and concerns over prolonged instability in West Asia.
India has called for a ceasefire, release of all hostages, and peaceful resolution of the Israel-Hamas conflict through dialogue and diplomacy. The Centre informed Parliament that India welcomed the agreement on the first phase of the Gaza Peace Plan. The article also covers India's energy sourcing strategy and the release of Indian fishermen by Pakistan.
US President Donald Trump on Sunday announced that the American Navy will henceforth block all maritime traffic entering the Strait of Hormuz.
US-Iran talks in Islamabad collapsed after 21 hours, exposing deep divisions over nuclear ambitions and sanctions.
The Congress party has called on the BJP-led government to adopt a unified national approach to restore India's role as a voice for peace, criticising the government's foreign policy and its impact on India's global standing.
Pakistan has increased security measures in Islamabad and surrounding areas as the US and Iran prepare for another round of peace talks. The move follows an announcement by former US President Donald Trump that American negotiators would be in Pakistan for discussions aimed at resolving the conflict between the two nations.
Donald Trump has issued a stern warning to Iran, stating that the US will take a tougher stance if a diplomatic resolution regarding its nuclear programme is not reached soon.
China has called on Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and expressed appreciation for Tehran's commitment not to develop nuclear weapons, a key demand of the US to end the conflict.
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".
The air raids struck areas including the outskirts of Brital and Nasiriyah towns in the Bekaa Valley, Tallet al-Sunduq, Jarmak in Jezzine, and the Mahmoudiya and Khardali regions.
'Iran cannot trust the USA because it considers the USA to be Israel-controlled. And no, the IRGC is not going to accept anything else but major US concessions.'
India has warned Pakistan against its unprovoked firings along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir as the directors general of military operations of the two armies spoke on the hotline amid the escalating tensions over the Pahalgam terror attack.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has urged Iran to guarantee freedom and safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for global oil trade, amid ongoing tensions with the US.
In a bid to de-escalate Middle East tensions, the US has presented Iran with a comprehensive 15-point peace plan focusing on nuclear disarmament and regional stability in exchange for sanctions relief.
'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.'
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
Representative of Iran's Supreme Leader in India, Abdul Majid Hakeem Ilahi, expressed doubts about the United States' intentions regarding negotiations, citing conflicting actions and a desire to force Iran into accepting US demands.
Describing the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah as the deadliest in decades, Biden said lasting security for the people of the two countries cannot be achieved only on the battlefield.
The exchange of fire occurred even though the directors general of military operations of India and Pakistan spoke over the hotline on Tuesday amid rising tensions between the two countries over the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22.
'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.'
'TTP has vowed to take revenge for the attacks that Pakistan is carrying out against Afghanistan.' 'To diminish this threat, Pakistan is hitting Afghanistan hard.'
Pakistan is playing a key role in facilitating talks between the US and Iran, but the future of these negotiations remains uncertain. Despite ongoing diplomatic efforts, no dates have been set for a second round of discussions.
High-level peace talks between the US and Iran, facilitated by Pakistan, aim to de-escalate the conflict in West Asia and potentially reshape regional stability.
'Even if the war ends tomorrow, which is unlikely, and we go back to the pre-war status quo, the world will still need some time to get over the sudden shock of oil price increases.'
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 is yet to take a call on United States President Donald Trump's invitation to be part of the 'Board of Peace' that will work towards bringing lasting peace to Gaza and possibly resolve global conflicts, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.
'It brings precarious peace because the red lines have shifted. 'The next Pahalgam attack would mean a full scale war.'
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.
Security agencies in Manipur are investigating an arms smuggling racket originating from Myanmar, with potential nationwide implications. The probe follows the arrest of a senior leader from a Valley-based Insurgent Group (VBIG).
Trump described the his Israel visit as "a very special time," calling it a moment filled with excitement and unity.
The urgency for a resolution is underscored by the military situation, as joint operations by Israel and the US have consistently been "targeting Iran's missile systems, launch sites and other critical infrastructure" since the onset of the conflict.
Israel Defence Forces carried out air strikes, killing nine people in Gaza, following an alleged violation of the United States-brokered ceasefire deal by Hamas, CNN reported.
Karex, the Malaysian company that makes roughly one in five of the world's condoms -- about five billion a year, supplying Durex and Trojan among others -- announced this week that it is raising prices by up to 30 percent. The reason is the Strait of Hormuz.
Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban have resumed peace talks in Istanbul, aiming to address cross-border terrorism and prevent further escalation. The talks follow recent clashes and a temporary ceasefire, with Pakistan demanding that Afghan soil not be used for terrorism.
India was among the countries not present in Davos when US President Donald Trump unveiled his "Board of Peace" that seeks to work towards bringing lasting peace to Gaza and possibly resolve global conflicts. India is yet to take a call on it, people familiar with the matter said when asked about Trump's invite to PM Modi.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE are actively pushing Trump to take the war to its bitter finish and 'erase' Iran's presence in the geopolitics of the region. Simply put, the two most powerful Sunni Arab oligarchies are on the same page as Israel. Such interference increases the risk of a breakdown in dialogue between the US and Iran, points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
