Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei will not attend his father, former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's, funeral due to security concerns stemming from Israeli threats. This decision follows a sharp warning from Iran's Foreign Minister to the United States, urging it to control Israel after its Defence Minister reportedly marked Khamenei for death. The incident highlights escalating tensions and ongoing diplomatic efforts to de-escalate hostilities in West Asia.
On Saturday, February 28, the United States and Israel launched coordinated military strikes on Iran marking a significant escalation in Middle East tensions.
US President Donald Trump stated that the decision regarding the conclusion of the conflict with Iran will be a 'mutual' decision made in coordination with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred with the 'Speaker of the Knesset Medal' in recognition of his contribution to strengthening strategic relations between India and Israel, making him the first leader to receive this honor.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has affirmed that the United States and his administration have achieved nearly total dominance over Iranian airspace following a series of coordinated military strikes.
'All these reports and announcements by the US seem like attempts to gain a lever in trade deal negotiations with India.'
On Monday, March 9, Iran fired barrage of missiles in Central Israel including Yehud and Holon leaving one dead and several injured.
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.
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.
Former US President Donald Trump has issued a stern warning to Iran, stating that "nothing will get through" unless a deal or "total surrender" is achieved, amid escalating tensions and conflicting reports on direct negotiations.
India has issued an advisory for its citizens in Israel to exercise utmost caution and remain vigilant at all times, following a joint attack by Israel and the US against Iran.
Air India Group has accumulated losses of about Rs 47,821 crore since its takeover, leaving its prolonged transformation among the biggest unfinished projects of N Chandrasekaran's tenure.
Sonia Gandhi criticised PM Modi's Israel visit, calling it a "bewildering strategic decision" amid the regional conflict.
How US President Donald Trump employed a clandestine 'decoy' Air Force One operation to secretly depart Turkiye following a NATO Summit.
The Lebanese army has begun evacuating some of its forward positions along the border with Israel and redeploying troops to other posts, Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported on Tuesday, amid intensified Israeli military activity in the area.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has revealed the intense psychological pressure faced by Tehran's diplomatic delegation during peace negotiations with the United States, recalling a direct exchange with US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, where he questioned the envoy about the constant military threats.
The Israeli Finance Ministry has warned that the ongoing war with Iran could cost Israel an estimated NIS 9.4 billion (USD 3 billion approximately) per week under current restrictions on economic activities.
Following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, his son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, issued a "revenge list" featuring 13 world leaders, including Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu, with a graphic depicting them as targets, amidst escalating regional hostilities and US reports of an Iranian assassination plot against Trump.
Pezeshkian urged American citizens to look beyond 'manufactured narratives', claiming the portrayal of Iran as a threat is driven by the military-industrial complex and Israeli political interests.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended his actions amid growing resentment over an emerging US-Iran deal, asserting that Iran would never possess nuclear weapons. He faced criticism from opposition figures like Naftali Bennett and addressed concerns about Israel's security zones and relations with the US.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye on Friday signed a key joint defence agreement under which an attack against one of them will be treated as an attack against all of them, amid increasing security concerns in the wake of escalating tensions in West Asia.
Following a joint attack by the US and Israel on Iran, India is calling for restraint and de-escalation to avoid further military confrontation in the Middle East.
A proposed deal between Iran and Oman could grant Tehran control over vessels entering the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, according to a senior Iranian source and two regional officials who spoke to Reuters on Wednesday, in what represents one of the most significant concessions made to Iran to date.
IDF chief stressed the urgent need for legislative measures, including a conscription law, a reserve duty law, and an extension of mandatory military service.
India and Israel have strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms, including cross-border terrorism, and reaffirmed their commitment to combating the threat.
'Actual implementation of the 14-point agreement is proving hard to achieve let alone striking and sustaining a long-term treaty or deal.'
Alliances fight wars effectively only when they share an endgame. If Israel acted without US knowledge, then the military alliance is operating without real coordination at the level of strategic targeting. Neither picture is reassuring in a war that is no longer regional in its consequences. Prem Panicker continues his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
The India release of the Oscar-nominated film 'The Voice of Hind Rajab', based on the story of a five-year-old Palestinian girl killed by Israeli forces, is facing delays as the distributor awaits a censor certificate.
The ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran intensified sharply with attacks on critical energy infrastructure across the Gulf, even as US President Donald Trump said he had cautioned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against targeting Iran's key South Pars Gas Field.
By appearing to privilege ideological affinity over strategic balance, India risks eroding the trust painstakingly built across West Asia. Once the perception takes hold that India's friendship is conditional and transactional, rebuilding credibility will be difficult, warns Amberish K Diwanji.
US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are reportedly planning a White House meeting as early as next week, despite growing scepticism within Trump's inner circle regarding Netanyahu's actions and widening disagreements over regional security and Iran.
A joint attack by the United States and Israel on Iran has triggered a massive military confrontation in the Middle-East.
For years, these two powers operated as "frenemies" in the shadow of Iran's regional influence. The frame here is "The Enemy of My Enemy."
The Israeli Air Force has destroyed an aircraft used by Iranian leadership at Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran, along with striking over 200 targets across western and central Iran, significantly impacting Iran's strategic capabilities.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Israel to enhance defence and trade cooperation amid Middle East tensions. Discussions will include defence, security, and the situation in Gaza.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is actively engaged in diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions in West Asia, offering to host talks between the US and Iran and engaging with regional leaders to promote peace and stability.
US President Donald Trump has cautioned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel risks international isolation if it resumes extensive military operations against Iran, following a volatile 24-hour period of escalating cross-border hostilities.
Israel has for more than two decades and several US presidencies worked to draw the United States into a full-scale war with Iran. Having finally achieved that, the last thing it wants is Trump declaring victory and going home, as he is prone to do. Ali Larijani was the figure most capable of handing Trump a negotiated exit with something to show for it. Without Larijani, the road to an exit gets considerably narrower. Prem Panicker continues his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
Displaced Palestinians in Gaza are overcoming power cuts, poor internet and ongoing insecurity to follow the FIFA World Cup, finding brief moments of joy and escape amid the hardships of war and displacement.
Millions of people, including international representatives, are expected to attend the funeral of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran. His death occurred at the start of the US-Israel war on Iran. US President Donald Trump announced a week-long pause in bombing for the funeral, while India was represented by Governor Syed Ata Hasnain and MoS External Affairs Pabitra Margherita. The event is anticipated to be one of the largest gatherings in Iran's history, with ceremonies delayed due to security concerns.
