This weekend, Donald Trump has begun to say the quiet part out loud -- that he wants to take control of Iran's oil, a formulation more in line with his robber-baron style of international relations.
When missiles fly in this region, they are never just aimed at military targets.
According to the Pentagon, the vessels were targeted as part of efforts to prevent the deployment of naval mines in the strategically vital passage through which a significant portion of global crude oil shipments transits.
According to the report, the Pentagon is deploying the USS Tripoli ARG, along with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), part of its own strike group.
The Kuwaiti Defence Ministry said all crew members of the crashed aircraft ejected safely and were taken to a hospital for medical check-ups.
Tensions escalated dramatically on March 5, 2026, as the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran, triggering retaliatory explosions across Tehran, Sanandaj, and beyond.
Iraq's participation in the inter-confederation play-offs in Mexico that will decide two berths at this year's FIFA World Cup is in doubt because of the travel chaos triggered by the conflict in neighbouring Iran.
The military command clarified in a statement published on X that the aircraft were engaged in error during active combat operations on Sunday.
In the central Iranian city of Isfahan, residents gathered at Imam Square to protest the strikes and to mourn what state media termed the martyrdom of Ayatollah Khamenei. Demonstrators raised slogans including "God is great" as the airstrikes continued.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a high-level meeting to review regional and internal security in light of recent events in Iran and Afghanistan.
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.
'All the government and private offices are functioning.' 'Overall, life is continuing normally.' 'People of Iran are showing spirit and resilience in the face of adversity.'
'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.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserts that the joint US-Israel campaign against Iran is progressing successfully, highlighting Israel's strengthened position and hinting at new regional alliances.
'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.'
The Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia has confirmed that one Indian national was injured in a projectile incident in Al Kharj, while clarifying that there were no Indian fatalities. The embassy is providing assistance and is in contact with Saudi authorities.
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 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.
Israel and the United States had a plan. Iran punched back. And now the Gulf is reeling, the world is beginning to feel the pain and, as on date, no one in Washington or Tel Aviv appears willing to admit that the punch has landed, notes Prem Panicker, continuing his must-read blog on the war in the Middle East.
The US-Israeli military campaign, dubbed "Operation Epic Fury" by Washington, has entered its third day, with US President Donald Trump stating that operations would continue "until all of our objectives are achieved."
'We need to give Pakistan something serious to think about on its eastern front -- that is the only way to actually help Afghanistan right now.'
The IDF noted that the strikes are being conducted in response to "relentless attacks" from Iran and its proxies since October 7, adding that Israel has the "right and the duty to respond."
The LPG squeeze on India's restaurant sector is the quotidian face of a deeper crisis.
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.
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.
Even as the benchmark and broader indices were down sharply on Monday due to escalating tensions in West Asia, the Nifty Defence index ended the session in the green.
Sensex and Nifty post steepest weekly loss in over a year, falling nearly 3 per cent.
As days turn into weeks and America loses more planes, as the destruction of trillions of dollars worth military assets piles up, and dead bodies of soldiers return in ever greater numbers in coffins, Trump will have to answer some very difficult questions to save his presidency, notes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
For India, China's Indian Ocean power projection, maritime domain awareness, dual-use ports, underwater surveillance, antisubmarinewarfare, naval exercises with Pakistan, pose considerable pressure, depleted India's strategic depth and marginalises Indian role, points out Srikanth Kondapalli.
Let us start with ourselves. If we can reduce our LPG consumption by half, the problem is solved. Reduce wastage. Alter eating styles. Diversify methods of food preparation, suggests Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta (retd).
Around 4:30 am IST on Sunday, June 22, 2025, the United States launched an attack on three nuclear sites in Iran. With this, the US seems to have finally entered the war with Iran.
As the Iran-Israel conflict takes dangerous dimensions, support for Tehran comes from next door as Iraqi Shi'ite Muslims protest Jerusalem's attacks in Baghdad.
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.
Authorities in Mumbai are investigating an email threatening bomb attacks on key buildings, including the Vidhan Bhavan and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). Security has been heightened, and officials are working to trace the origin of the threat.
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.
Islamabad also summoned the Iranian charge d'affaires here and issued a strongly worded condemnation of Iran's "violation of its airspace", the Foreign Office said.
Specifically, military experts are assessing if the 'Octopus' interceptor anti-drone system, produced in the UK to support Ukraine in countering Russian threats, could be repurposed to strengthen British protections against Iran's Shahed drones.
The first flight carrying 110 Indian students, who were evacuated to Armenia from war-torn Iran, landed in Delhi in the early hours on Thursday.
Citizens and residents across the Gulf region are preparing for Eid amidst regional conflict, impacting festivities and daily life.
The aircraft, part of the US air force's 509th Bomb Wing, reportedly dropped 14 massive 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs on two major underground uranium enrichment sites in Iran as part of Operation Midnight Hammer.
