Frankly, was it really necessary in the middle of a fratricidal war for External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to travel to Abu Dhabi for a one-on-one with the sheikh on April 12?Or, for National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to follow up on April 26? Or, for PM Narendra Modi to follow through today? There are no easy answers, notes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
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.
India is the only significant power that all parties trust, or at least do not distrust, notes former defence secretary Ajay Kumar.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump outlined key goals of the campaign, including degrading Iran's missile capabilities, dismantling its defence industrial base, eliminating naval and air power, preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear capability, and protecting United States allies such as Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Media reports based on intelligence sources say nearly half of Iran's missile launchers remain intact, while thousands of one-way attack drones are still part of its arsenal even after continuous strikes targeting military infrastructure over the past five weeks.
On Saturday, it was reported that a drone strike had targeted the Fujairah Port in the UAE, triggering a fire.
The Bahrain Grand Prix and Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in the Formula One 2026 calendar are likely to be cancelled due to escalating Middle East tensions, with a final decision expected soon.
The Iranian military on Thursday issued a strongly worded response to remarks made by United States President Donald Trump, warning that the ongoing conflict will persist until Washington, DC faces what it described as 'permanent humiliation, regret, and surrender', as reported by Iranian state media Press TV.
The United States has clarified that its naval blockade in West Asia targets Iranian ports and coastline, not the Strait of Hormuz, applying to all ships regardless of nationality. US officials warned Iran against threatening commercial ships and hinted at ceasefire negotiations as an alternative.
The military command clarified in a statement published on X that the aircraft were engaged in error during active combat operations on Sunday.
A second United States fifth-generation F-35 fighter jet was struck and downed over central Iran by a modern air-defence system of the Islamic Republic's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), with officials saying the pilot is unlikely to have ejected, Iranian state media reported on Friday.
After the Israeli attack on Iran's South Pars Gas Field on Wednesday night, in retaliation, Iran struck Qatar's Ras Laffan Industrial City, resulting in extensive damage, as per the country's Ministry of Defence.
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."
Qatar, India's largest supplier of imported natural gas, has declared force majeure on deliveries following a halt in production in the wake of an Iranian drone strike -- a disruption that has led to a cut in supplies to Indian industry by up to 40 per cent, sources said.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has announced a series of military operations against US and Israeli targets in retaliation for earlier airstrikes. The IRGC claims to have launched multiple missile and drone strikes, and has warned against any potential ground operations within Iranian territory.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the start of operations to clear mines in the Strait of Hormuz, a claim swiftly denied by Iran, leading to increased tensions in the region amidst stalled negotiations between the two countries.
The IRGC said the strikes were conducted in support of offensives by Hezbollah and residents of southern Lebanon, and described them as the beginning of a series of pre-announced operations against Israel.
The IRGC said the barrage targeted several US military facilities in the region, including bases at Sheikh Isa in Bahrain, Juffair in Bahrain, Ali al-Salem in Kuwait and Al Azraq in Jordan.
'Moments like this remind us how fragile life really is.'
The IRGC accused US and Israeli forces of using civilians as 'human shields' and warned of continued attacks.
The IRGC had announced earlier that it was carrying out an intense wave of attacks on US and Israeli positons throughout the region since dawn, using missiles as well as drones.
Amidst escalating tensions in West Asia, Iran claims to have inflicted heavy casualties on US forces in Dubai, a claim vehemently denied by the US Central Command, raising concerns about regional stability.
The United States used an array of weapons in the strikes conducted against Iran as part of Operation Epic Fury on Saturday -- which included artificial intelligence services from Anthropic, according to a report by Reuters.
Formula One has cancelled the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix scheduled for April due to escalating Middle East tensions, reducing the 2026 F1 calendar from 24 to 22 races.
Trump has made it clear: the US will not lift its blockade of Iranian ports until a deal is signed.
The US blockade on Iranian ports is aimed to curb Iranian energy exports, thereby crippling its economy to force Iran back to the negotiating table, points out Commodore Venugopal Menon (retd).
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to express Pakistan's support for the Kingdom amidst escalating tensions in West Asia, reaffirming their mutual defence pact and commitment to regional stability.
History is rarely decided by who has the biggest weapons, but by who has the better process. The same rule applies to investing, says Ramalingam Kalirajan.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday said that the United States has not ruled out the option of sending troops on the ground in Iran and that military operations in the Persian Gulf nation would end once the objectives of Operation Epic Fury are achieved.
An Indian and a Pakistani national were killed in Abu Dhabi after debris from intercepted missiles fell on a street. The incident has raised concerns about regional security.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed the missile launches in a statement on Telegram, noting that defensive systems were actively operating to intercept the threat.
'Without ground troops the US will not be able to oust the Iranian Islamic regime. Political change does not happen just by using bombs or planes.'
The Israeli Air Force (IAF) said it struck several targets in Tehran, Shiraz and Ahvaz simultaneously over the past 24 hours, targeting sites linked to Iran's ballistic missile programme, air defence systems and military headquarters.
The Kuwaiti Defence Ministry said all crew members of the crashed aircraft ejected safely and were taken to a hospital for medical check-ups.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has declared the commencement of its 27th offensive under Operation True Promise 4, targeting American and Israeli positions in response to what it termed a new wave of 'unprovoked US-Israeli aggression against the Islamic Republic', Iranian state broadcaster Press TV reported.
An Indian national has been killed in Kuwait following Iranian strikes on a power and water desalination plant, bringing the total number of Indian fatalities in the West Asia conflict to eight.
The deployment could include infantry and armoured units, in addition to the 82nd Airborne Division, which is already stationed in the region.
Iran striker Sardar Azmoun has been left out of the squad for World Cup warm-ups amid reports of expulsion over alleged disloyalty, sparking controversy.
The United States Special Forces have rescued the second F-15 crew member alive, who went missing after Iran downed the jet amid the West Asia conflict, President Donald Trump has confirmed.
US defence officials confirmed that an F-35 did perform an emergency landing after an Iranian surface-to-air missile (SAM) barrage, with the pilot safe and an investigation underway.
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