Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump discussed the West Asia crisis and the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open and secure. They also reviewed progress in bilateral ties and anticipated upcoming deals in the energy sector.
'US and Iran have not annulled the ceasefire, and the possibility of continuing negotiations remains open.'
US President Donald Trump has stated that the war with Iran is "close to over," while the US Central Command reports blocking traffic to Iranian ports.
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.
Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has warned that Islamabad will enter into an 'open war' with Kabul if the ongoing peace talks in Istanbul fail, TOLO News reported.
In a significant diplomatic manoeuvre aimed at de-escalating regional tensions, Iran has reportedly submitted a "new proposal" to the United States through Pakistani intermediaries.
Pakistan has handed over evidence-based demands to mediators in Istanbul talks with the Afghan Taliban, aiming to end cross-border terrorism. The talks follow recent border clashes and aim to defuse tensions between the two sides.
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.
...is a way out, notes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the Iran War. What the indefinite extension produces is a prolonged condition of not-war-not-peace, in which oil markets cannot stabilise, Asian refineries cannot plan, European governments cannot stop subsidising consumption they cannot afford, and the next flashpoint -- a seized tanker, a miscalculated drone strike, a Truth Social post that claims too much -- is one news cycle away.
Given its actions, it doesn't appear that Pakistan really wants peace, the army chief added.
Trump has made it clear: the US will not lift its blockade of Iranian ports until a deal is signed.
The US Navy seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman, escalating tensions as ceasefire talks face uncertainty. The incident raises concerns about the fragile ceasefire and the ongoing blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump added that the United States would assist in managing the traffic buildup in the Strait of Hormuz.
China has urged Pakistan and Afghanistan to engage in direct talks to resolve their ongoing conflict, offering to mediate and calling for a ceasefire.
The popularity of US President Donald Trump is waning with approval ratings at its lowest, according to former diplomat Mahesh Sachdev, who notes that with two-thirds of Americans not approving of a continuation of the war on Iran, Trump faces the risk of being impeached.
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.
Is the current rally telegraphing a durable peace plan in West Asia, boosted by United States (US) President Donald Trump's incoherent and contradictory posts on social media?
US President Donald Trump on Sunday announced that the American Navy will henceforth block all maritime traffic entering the Strait of Hormuz.
US President Donald Trump on Sunday expressed confidence that Tehran would eventually concede to American demands, while simultaneously issuing a stern warning regarding the potential for total military devastation.
Iran was the chance to arrange a concert of nations, to actually be a Vishwaguru. Instead, we are watching from the sidelines as Pakistan, the same country that is apparently still at war with Afghanistan, hosts talks between US-Israel and Iran. The irony is hard to miss, points out Amberish K Diwanji.
China has confirmed providing on-site technical support to Pakistan during last year's conflict with India, according to official media reports.
'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.'
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor disputes Donald Trump's claims of using trade to stop the India-Pakistan military conflict in May, citing conversations with government officials.
'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.'
The logic of war plus the gathering storms in US politics as the midterms loom large leave him with no real alternative but to negotiate, points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Officials from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and China are meeting in Urumqi to discuss regional security concerns and potential confidence-building measures.
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.
'We do want resumption of the dialogue with India because we sincerely believe that it is in the interest of our region. Pakistan has been insisting that as a 'responsible country' it believes that disengagement is counter-productive,' The Dawn quoted Basit, as saying.
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Wednesday claimed that Tehran "begged" for a truce, maintaining that Washington achieved a "decisive military victory" during 'Operation Epic Fury.'
For India, much is at stake: Crucial energy supplies traversing the Strait of Hormuz, the fate of its 10 million citizens living and working in West Asia -- who send generous remittances home -- and its major trade links with the region.
Ahead of the first-ever National Security Advisor-level talks, Pakistan on Monday asked India to end the blame game and come forward with a fresh mind for the dialogue.
Addressing a special 'Youm-e-Tashakur' event at the Pakistan Monument in Islamabad, Shehbaz said that India and Pakistan fought three wars and got nothing.
Shehbaz made the comments during a visit to the Kamra air base in the country's Punjab province where he interacted with officers and soldiers involved in the recent military confrontation with India.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for the Strait of Hormuz to remain open for normal passage of ships, describing it as an 'international waterway' amid rising tensions between the US and Iran.
If the Iranian regime needs to be punished for promoting quasi-terrorist outfits like Hezbollah and Hamas, then what about Pakistan which has spent decades exporting terror around the world, killing thousands, particularly in Afghanistan and India? asks M R Narayan Swamy.
The comments by external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi came when asked at a media briefing about Sharif's offer last week to hold talks between the two countries to resolve outstanding issues such as Kashmir.
'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.'
China and Pakistan concluded their strategic dialogue, reiterating their opposition to unilateral actions in South Asia and discussing Kashmir, Afghanistan, and trilateral cooperation.
"We want good ties with all neighbours including India and Afghanistan," he told the Senators.
By all available indications, the White House drafted a face-saving note and handed it, ready-made, to Islamabad. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was supposed to then post it in the guise of a plea urging Trump to extend the deadline by two weeks 'to allow diplomacy to run its course'. Trump would then graciously accept Pakistan's 'request' and declare a ceasefire. Sharif dutifully posted the message on X. Except that he, or whoever was handling the account, forgot to delete the tell-tale first line visible in the edit history: 'Draft - Pakistan's PM Message on X'. Prem Panicker's must read blog on the Iran War.
