Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged US President Donald Trump to prioritise the safety of Indian seafarers in the Strait of Hormuz during the implementation of Washington's proposed Iran peace deal, as both leaders focused on repairing strained bilateral relations at the G7 summit.
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.
Italy has denied the United States the use of the Sigonella military base for flights heading to West Asia, citing a lack of consultation and concerns over the nature of the flights. This decision reflects Italy's stance on avoiding escalation in the region, as Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government emphasises its desire to stay out of war.
According to the Pentagon, the vessels were targeted as part of efforts to prevent the deployment of naval mines in the strategically vital passage through which a significant portion of global crude oil shipments transits.
US President Donald Trump has reportedly urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to withdraw Israeli military units from southern Syria and Lebanon, warning that Israel's continued presence could escalate regional tensions.
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.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) asserted full control over the Strait of Hormuz, claiming two oil tankers turned back after a fire, and warned countries supporting the US against interference in the strategic waterway.
Donald Trump announced he is replacing the 20% reimbursement fee for securing the Strait of Hormuz with massive trade and investment deals from Gulf States into the United States, while maintaining a full blockade on Iranian ship traffic.
In his first major national address since hostilities began, Trump said the ongoing military campaign, dubbed 'Operation Epic Fury', has delivered 'swift, decisive, overwhelming victories'.
A Pakistan minister refuted social media reports about the conclusion of the operation against Afghan Taliban, stating that the operation is continuing with full intensity.
Indian benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty closed lower, snapping a two-day rally, as a spike in crude oil prices, triggered by reports of fresh US military operations in southern Iran, dampened investor sentiment and reignited fears of renewed energy supply disruptions.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Sunday claimed it had destroyed eight US military infrastructures in Kuwait and Bahrain in a joint missile and drone operation, describing the strikes as retaliation for a second wave of US military attacks on Iranian targets.
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."
India has strongly condemned Pakistan's air strikes within Afghan territory, emphasising the need to respect Afghanistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity following civilian casualties and infrastructure damage.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a significant policy shift, declaring that Israel's robust economy no longer requires American financial assistance. He also reiterated strong opposition to Palestinian statehood, affirmed an aggressive national defence strategy, warned of pre-emptive strikes against Iran, and confirmed the continued military presence in southern Lebanon.
Trump also asserted that US forces had struck hundreds of targets across Iran, including facilities of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and air defence systems.
The Indian rupee saw a significant appreciation against the US dollar following President Trump's suspension of military strikes against Iran and the Reserve Bank of India's decision to maintain its key interest rate. Market sentiment was further buoyed by positive comments from the RBI regarding the health of the banking sector.
The US military is considering a new wave of military operations in Iran, including potential strikes on infrastructure and securing Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium, amid a fragile ceasefire and stalled nuclear talks.
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 United States military has intercepted and destroyed two Iranian attack drones that posed an immediate hazard to commercial shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz, according to an official statement by the US Central Command late Saturday.
China on Monday successfully test-fired a long-range strategic missile from one of its nuclear-powered submarines in the Pacific Ocean, drawing sharp reactions from Japan and Australia.
While the Andaman and Nicobar islands serve as a vital, stationary asset for projecting power in the Indian Ocean, referring to them as an unsinkable aircraft carrier ignores key military and geopolitical limitations, explains Commodore Venugopal Menon (retd).
'Past experience shows us that cross-border strikes have not prevented Pakistan from continuing with further terror attacks.'
Russia has expressed strong concern over a US-Israeli strike on the Iranian port of Bandar Anzali, a key transit hub on the INSTC, warning of the risk of drawing Caspian states into the ongoing conflict.
General Dhiraj Seth has been appointed as the new Chief of the Army Staff, taking command of the 1.3 million-strong Indian Army. He brings nearly four decades of extensive experience, including commanding two operational Army commands along the western front, and will lead the force in its pursuit of self-reliance and readiness amidst dynamic global geo-strategic challenges.
US President Donald Trump on Monday claimed that Iran had requested a meeting with the US after the recent military escalation between the two sides over the Strait of Hormuz and announced that talks with Tehran would take place in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday, despite Iranian officials stating that no technical meetings have been scheduled this week.
Indian stock markets rallied in early trade after US President Donald Trump announced a halt to planned military strikes on Iran, citing requests from Gulf leaders and ongoing "very big discussions" that could lead to a deal. This de-escalation, coupled with foreign fund inflows and gains in IT and Adani group stocks, contributed to the positive market sentiment. Track Sensex and Nifty on May 19, 2026.
The US forces conducted strikes against Iran, on Friday, as a powerful response to Thursday's attack on a commercial ship that was transiting the Strait of Hormuz, said Central Command (CENTCOM) in a statement.
Indian benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty, closed sharply higher, with the Sensex climbing 1,695.40 points and the Nifty surging nearly 2 per cent, driven by a global market rally and a decline in crude oil prices following US President Donald Trump's declaration that his country has ended the war with Iran.
Trump's remarks marks one of the most direct rebukes yet from Washington to its allies over their refusal to support US-led military operations in Iran and over the energy crisis triggered by disruptions in the Persian Gulf.
The official statement highlighted that these "blatant Iranian attacks" have also targeted members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and several other Arab and Islamic nations.
US President Donald Trump on Friday (local time) said that he has "left instructions" to launch a massive military action against Iran, if Tehran succeeds in the plan of assassinating him, while stressing that the country would be bombed "at levels they have never seen before", New York Post reported.
A United States missile strike has reportedly hit an educational facility in Khomeyn in central Iran, according to a report by Al Jazeera citing Iran's Mehr news agency. The site was identified as the Dr Hafez Khomeyni School.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the decision followed a request from the Iranian government and added that talks between the two sides were 'going very well'.
A joint attack by the United States and Israel on Iran has triggered a massive military confrontation in the Middle-East.
The UAE consulate in Erbil, located in Iraq's Kurdish region, suffered structural damage in the aerial attack. Officials said there were no casualties.
Amidst the stalling of high-level peace talks between Tehran and Washington, Iran continues to endure severe digital isolation as the nationwide internet blackout reached its 44th day on Sunday.
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.
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.
US President Donald Trump has accused Iran of bringing down an American military helicopter near the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, prompting a strong declaration that the United States 'must' respond to this significant incident.
