The threat has raised concerns about possible asymmetric attacks outside the region. Iran has also stepped up attacks on energy infrastructure in Gulf countries.
Trump has said he would be present at the signing ceremony in Islamabad. Don't be surprised if the Pakistani hosts make it a grand event in the geopolitics of the region. Trump would love that, notes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
The Congress party has criticised the Indian government's diplomatic strategy, claiming a 'severe setback' if reports of Pakistan mediating between the US-Israel and Iran are accurate. The party alleges Pakistan's diplomatic engagement has surpassed India's, despite military successes.
India captain Suryakumar Yadav dedicated Sunday's T20 World Cup victory over Pakistan to fans across the country.
The question is no longer whether the war will expand. It has. The next few days will tell us whether the war stabilises around Hormuz or whether the Strait itself becomes the trigger for a far larger rupture. What to watch for over the next 48 hours is simple: Any move by the US toward direct naval control of the Strait; any credible Iranian attempt to disrupt or mine shipping lanes and, critically, whether energy infrastructure in the Gulf continues to be targeted.If those lines are crossed in tandem, the war will no longer be containable within the region.
India has provided Afghanistan with 2.5 tons of medical supplies to assist those injured in a recent airstrike by Pakistan, which resulted in numerous casualties. This act underscores India's commitment to supporting the Afghan people during a difficult time.
Amid escalating tensions with Iran, President Trump is urging nations dependent on Middle Eastern oil to deploy warships to the Strait of Hormuz to safeguard critical global energy supplies.
Colonel Sonam Wangchuk, a decorated Kargil War hero known as the 'Lion of Ladakh' and recipient of the Maha Vir Chakra, has passed away. He was celebrated for his gallantry and leadership in securing the Chorbat-La in the Batalik sub-sector during Operation Vijay in 1999.
Although extensive air attacks have been carried out to destroy most of Iran's defence capabilities, the latter's resilience and sustenance during the war clearly indicate that the US landing force would encounter severe resistance in the operation, explains Commodore Venugopal Vengalil (retd).
Elon Musk reportedly participated in a phone call between US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the Iran crisis, raising questions about his involvement in diplomatic discussions.
Trump said he is unwilling to make a deal with Tehran at this stage despite indications the country wants negotiations.
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.
When missiles fly in this region, they are never just aimed at military targets.
'India's ties with Israel have to do with defence and general technology.' 'The war changes nothing in what India and Israel hope to get from the relationship.' 'It's not as though India will get significantly more benefits from Iran if India abandons Israel at this time.'
'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.'
Donald Trump has warned Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours or face military action, escalating tensions amid regional conflict and impacting global oil supplies.
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.
The pause gives the US time to breathe, to regroup, to move its expeditionary force into position without risk of interception along the way. It gives Iran nothing -- on the ground, attacks against its infrastructure continue apace. Prem Panicker in his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
Speaking to reporters during a cabinet meeting at the White House on Thursday, Trump said the US had engaged in 'very substantial talks' with Iranian officials and described the tanker movement as proof of seriousness in the discussions.
Direct talks between the US and Iran, mediated by Pakistan, have failed to produce an agreement after 21 hours of negotiations, with disagreements over Iran's nuclear ambitions and sanctions proving insurmountable.
The US embassy in Saudi Arabia and the US consulate in Dubai were reportedly targeted by suspected Iranian drone attacks amid heightened tensions in the Middle East following US and Israeli strikes on Iran.
'What we have yet to see on either the US or the Iranian side is willingness to compromise on their ultimate demands and the flexibility to reach an agreement to end the war.
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Friday claimed that Iran's new supreme leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, is "wounded and likely disfigured" in strikes by the US on the country.
The West Asia conflict escalated sharply as Iran launched missiles towards Israel, while Tehran confirmed the killing of its intelligence minister in Israeli strikes, marking the third assassination of a senior Iranian official in two days.
Russia and China vetoed a Bahrain-backed UN resolution aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz. A resolution that was already diluted to secure their abstentions.
The LPG squeeze on India's restaurant sector is the quotidian face of a deeper crisis.
The Dhurandhar movies will undoubtedly shape the minds of the audience much more than news reports, court investigations, books and documentaries. But it is worth remembering that Pakistan's irridentist claims against India's national security have succeeded due to strategic planning, diplomacy, and the unsung heroines and heroes across government agencies, not due to a single maverick leader, points out Shweta Desai.But it is worth to remember that Pakistan's irredentist claims against India's national security have succeeded due to strategic planning, diplomacy, and the unsung heroines and heroes across government agencies -- not a single maverick, points out Shweta Desai.
A French soldier was killed while several others were injured in an attack in the Erbil region of Iraq, French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed. Macron, in a post on X, confirmed that Chief Warrant Officer Arnaud Frion of the 7th Battalion of Chasseurs Alpins lost his life in the attack.
Pakistan claims significant casualties inflicted on Afghan Taliban operatives during a recent military operation along the border, while diplomatic efforts are reportedly underway to find a negotiated solution.
To be sure, Trump is furious, as the trajectory of the war is in a state of Zugzwang, as chess players call it. Trump and Netanyahu stare at two choices -- retreat in humiliation and concede Tehran's demands -- recognition of its rights, reparations, and binding security guarantees -- or perish in a quagmire, points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
A close aide to Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif claims that Pakistan has achieved its targets in the recent military operation against Afghanistan, following attacks by Afghan Taliban forces along the border.
The core issues to be settled -- access to Hormuz, Israel's aggression in Lebanon, the question of Iran's nuclear programme, sanctions relief and compensation -- are thorny enough to require weeks of patient negotiation. The most likely outcome of the opening sessions is that both sides take the measure of each other, establish what is and is not negotiable, and return home without having broken anything. That would count as progress.
Yash's Toxic: A Fairy Tale For Grown-Ups has been postponed to June 4, due to the escalating Middle East conflict.
Tensions escalate at the UN Security Council as the US and Israel defend their military actions against Iran, while Iran condemns the strikes as war crimes, raising fears of a wider Middle East conflict.
The IRGC also warned residents to evacuate areas near military bases, security centres and government facilities.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asserted that Iran is no longer capable of enriching uranium or producing ballistic missiles, following a joint military campaign with the US.
'In investing, poor sentiment is always a good vintage to build a portfolio.'
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar addressed the Rajya Sabha on India's position regarding the escalating conflict in West Asia, emphasising the need for peace, dialogue, and the safety of civilians, while also prioritising India's energy security and trade interests.
'It was diminishing even before Trump came to power.' 'The US was at the centre of the global economy. That position is going to become less and less important and less central.'
IDF international spokesperson Lt Col Nadav Shoshani said the Israeli military targeted several Hezbollah positions, including command and control centres, launch sites and senior operatives.
