India and the US have collaborated through the past one month on launching a powerful satellite; are commencing joint production of GE Aerospace's F414 jet engines in India; India is participating in a massive three week-long military exercise in the Western Pacific, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Trump has a major decision to take in coming days -- specifically, how to rescue Israel from the attritional war that lies ahead, points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
"We have the toughest sanctions ever imposed. But on oil, we want to go a little bit slow because I don't want to drive the oil prices in the world up," Trump told reporters.
Asked about the expectations from the US, Azar said Washington and Israel are "completely in sync". He said he felt that the US would "support" Israel's action.
The latest flashpoint in West Asia has derailed India's preliminary plans to resume crude oil imports from Iran, officials said. In January, officials of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas had told Business Standard that the government had been studying proposals for the same, given that India was trying to expand sources of imports. "We are always monitoring the situation when it comes to crude flows.
Acutely conscious that he's left with less than four years to create his legacy, Trump is undoubtedly a man in a hurry, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
The United States has said it is encouraging countries to diversify away from Iranian oil.
It cannot, however, use the money to invest in India or buy shares or companies.
'With the US having entered the war, raising the risks of a wider conflict, those impacts could be even more damaging.'
At the end of the day, for many worldwide, the ongoing mutual attacks between Israel and Iran would seem a contest devoid of any moral high ground and only a bout between two ordinary adversaries, one that nevertheless risks spinning out of control into a larger conflagration, notes Shyam G Menon.
The Indian Navy rescued an Iranian-flagged fishing vessel with 19 Pakistani crew members and a Sri Lankan trawler in two swift operations after armed pirates hijacked the boats in the Arabian Sea amid deteriorating security situation arising out of Iran-backed Houthi rebels targeting various cargo ships in the region.
An inconclusive end to this war will pose high risk for Netanyahu of a cascading demand for a regime change in Israel, predicts Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
US sanctions against Iran kick in from November 4, which will block payment routes. Sources said India and Iran are discussing reverting to rupee trade after November 4.
Navy officials on Monday said that the swift response by the Indian Navy's mission deployed warship INS Sumitra ensured the safe release of the hijacked vessel and its crew.
Oil prices this year could surge up to $80 a barrel due to the increasing demand for the gasoline and disruptions in crude supplies from Nigeria, said a senior Iranian oil official.
Iran has offered discounts on crude oil price and free shipping if India agrees to buy more of its oil.
India's Iran imports rise to 276,800 bpd vs 195,600 bpd in 2013.
Western sanctions aimed at crippling Iranian finances by drying up buyers for its crude oil, had last year banned insurance cover to ships carrying Iranian oil.
Crude oil prices are expected to rise this year as Iranian oil sanctions will lead to a drop in oil supply.
More than three months after RBI scrapped a long-standing payment mechanism used to pay for Iranian crude imports, India has resumed payments to the nation's second largest oil supplier using an alternative system.
'Indian and Iranian sources both confirmed to me that India and Iran are moving ahead to implement a payment system on buying oil from Iran and hope to finalise it very soon,' says Aveek Sen.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that countries like India, if it gets the exemption, would be asked to bring down their oil imports from Iran to zero in six months' time.
Officials from India's biggest private refiner recently visited Iran to chalk out the details for resumption of trade ties with Tehran.
For starters, the Iran situation is sure to have an impact on crude oil prices, as the world has little spare capacity.
India, with the increases already made in the January-March loading plans from Iran, has to cut its purchases of the crude to about 110,000 barrels per day.
In order to facilitate purchase of crude oil from Iran, the Finance Ministry has issued a notification exempting payments made in Indian rupee for such imports from any local tax.
United States Secretary of States Hillary Clinton on Monday announced Obama administration's decision to exempt India and six other countries from US economic sanctions after they significantly reduced their imports of Iranian oil.
India's imports from Iran rose to 250,200 barrels per day
India depends on Iran for 12 per cent of its 80 per cent of imports of crude.
The organisation of oil producing and exporting countries on Monday ruled out any increase in oil output to cool the high international oil prices.
Responding to the questions from Congressmen, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Robert Blake said India is making progress in this regard not because of any pressure from the US, but because of "financial and commercial considerations".
Indian Ambassador to the US Harsh Vardhan Shringla said India has stopped importing oil from Iran after the United States refused to extend exemption from sanctions earlier this month.
India's insistence on continuing to buy Iranian oil defying United States sanctions, drawing common approach on China, Af-Pak situation and peace negotiations with Taliban dominated the talks of Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai, who concluded his maiden bilateral visit in Washington on Thursday. The "serious situation" in Maldives after the resignation of President Mohamed Nasheed and the multi-billion jets deal found passing mentions during Mathai's meetings.
"We are exploring if Indian oil firms can open accounts in banks like Dubai-based Noor Islamic Bank so they can undertake a direct transfer of money for oil they buy from Iran," a senior government official said.
The US will send its top energy expert to India next week to help the country reduce dependence on Iranian oil, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said as she lauded the steps taken by New Delhi on the issue.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) intensified its campaign in Lebanon with targeted airstrikes on Hezbollah strongholds in Beirut, hitting key weapons depots and terror infrastructure overnight, according to a report by Times of Israel.
Replacing Iran, which is India's third largest oil supplier behind Iraq and Saudi Arabia, will not be a problem but margins will be hit as Tehran offers the best commercial terms
Petroleum minister M Veerappa Moily would like to import 11 million tonnes of Iranian crude in this financial year.
India's decision to continue importing Iranian oil is a slap on the face of the United States, according to a former US diplomat who was the Bush administration's point-man on the Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement."India's decision to walk out of step with the international community on Iran isn't just a slap in the face for the US -- it raises questions about its ability to lead," said Burns.
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