Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has warned the United States that Iran is ready to confront American troops if the US launches a ground invasion, calling such a move a potential 'big disaster' for Washington.
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.
Six terrorists were killed in an intelligence-based operation in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The operation was conducted by the Counter Terrorism Department and the Kohat district police department. The terrorists were allegedly planning a large-scale attack in the Lachi tehsil district.
China's week-long mediation between Pakistan and Afghanistan concludes without a formal agreement, though Beijing claims progress in exploring solutions to resolve their differences.
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.
The cost of the war is being counted not in the corridors of power in Washington or Tehran, but in Firozabad's darkened furnace rooms, Howrah's idle casting sheds, and a barbershop in Kochi where the wait is suddenly, inexplicably, an hour long, notes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the Iran War.
Pakistani security forces killed 13 terrorists in multiple intelligence-based operations in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, amidst a surge in terrorist activities in the region.
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.
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.
A new analysis by the Institute for the Study of War has warned that Iran could escalate its attacks on Israel by launching large missile salvos aimed at maximising psychological pressure on civilians.
Each time a deadline almost runs out, President Trump hands out a new one.
'Pakistan has pitched Islamabad as a possible venue for talks as early as this week involving senior figures from the Trump administration and Iran,' the Financial Times reported.
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.
'The West Asia or the Gulf crisis has shown that what we develop as national infrastructure when things are not as bad as they could be, we forget to plan for adversities.'
'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.'
Israel wishes to continue its bombing campaign until Iran's military and industrial infrastructure are degraded to a point where it ceases to pose a threat to Israel. Iran, for its part, has learnt from its experience in the 12-day war of last June. Any ceasefire, it believes, will only be a prelude to another attack on itself. It is determined to convey that any attack on Iran will impose heavy costs on Israel, the US, America's allies in the Gulf -- and on the world at large, points out T T Ram Mohan.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has briefed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman on Pakistan's diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the situation in West Asia. This follows Pakistan's offer to host talks between the US and Iran to resolve the ongoing conflict.
To be sure, Trump is furious, as the trajectory of the war is in a state of Zugzwang, as chess players call it. Trump and Netanyahu stare at two choices -- retreat in humiliation and concede Tehran's demands -- recognition of its rights, reparations, and binding security guarantees -- or perish in a quagmire, points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
IndiGo operator InterGlobe Aviation had a mildly encouraging third quarter in financial year 2026 (Q3FY26).
India attended the inaugural meeting of US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace on Gaza as an observer country, represented by Charge d'affaires at the Indian Embassy in Washington DC, Namgya Khampa.
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.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has offered to mediate between the US and Iran to de-escalate the ongoing conflict in West Asia, following a joint US-Israel attack on Iran. Sharif has been in contact with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and other nations to promote dialogue and diplomacy.
'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.
Western Army Commander Lieutenant General Manoj Kumar Katiyar reports a sustained decline in militancy in Jammu and Kashmir, emphasizing the army's readiness to respond to any misadventures by Pakistan and its support for terrorist activities.
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.
'We are ready to exchange views with the government, primarily through video call.' 'The government should immediately declare a formal ceasefire for a month, stop search operations and take forward the peace process.'
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has engaged in extensive diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the conflict in West Asia, offering to host talks between the US and Iran and engaging with leaders from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Malaysia, the UK, China, and the European Union.
Citizens and residents across the Gulf region are preparing for Eid amidst regional conflict, impacting festivities and daily life.
When everyone has footage and no one can verify it, the loudest voice wins, notes Prem Panicker who begins a daily blog on the War in the Middle East.
'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.'
When missiles fly in this region, they are never just aimed at military targets.
Russia has shared intelligence with Iran that could help Tehran target American warships, aircraft and other military assets in the region, according to United States intelligence assessments cited by media reports, marking the first indication of Moscow's possible involvement in the ongoing conflict. Officials familiar with US intelligence findings said a significant portion of the shared information reportedly includes imagery from Russia's network of surveillance satellites.
Pakistan has announced a temporary pause in its ongoing operation against the Afghan Taliban in response to requests from Islamic countries and in view of the upcoming Eid festival, following accusations from Afghanistan regarding an attack on a rehabilitation hospital in Kabul.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah rejects the ceasefire offer from Maoists, stating that surrender is the only option. He also addresses Naxalism's ideological roots and progress in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast.
Top Maoist commander Thippiri Tirupati alias Devji has surrendered to police, marking a significant blow to the outlawed organisation. His surrender comes ahead of the Union government's deadline to eliminate Naxalism.
On a worn-out five-a-side pitch in a wasteland of ruined buildings and rubble, Jabalia Youth took on Al-Sadaqa in the Gaza Strip's first organised soccer tournament in more than two years.
What we are watching is something different: A fog manufactured and maintained by the people who started the war, so that the question of why it was started never has to be answered, observes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the war in the Middle East.
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.
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.
The US President has previously made similar claims, stating that Sharif had credited him with saving millions of lives by helping end the conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
