White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday said that the United States has not ruled out the option of sending troops on the ground in Iran and that military operations in the Persian Gulf nation would end once the objectives of Operation Epic Fury are achieved.
Conflicting reports emerge regarding the effectiveness of the US blockade on Iranian ports, with Iran claiming successful transit of vessels and the US asserting complete maritime dominance.
Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi awarded Yudh Seva Medals to Vice Admiral A N Pramod and Vice Admiral Rahul Gokhale for their distinguished service during Operation Sindoor. The operation involved a strong naval response to security concerns, showcasing strategic planning and effective deployment of naval assets.
The threat has raised concerns about possible asymmetric attacks outside the region. Iran has also stepped up attacks on energy infrastructure in Gulf countries.
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.
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.
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.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, in his address to the Federal Assembly (Russia's bicameral parliament) on Sunday, stated that Moscow had developed a small-sized nuclear power unit that could be used in a cruise missile to extend its range practically indefinitely.
Admiral Alireza Tangsiri was accused of leading efforts to disrupt maritime trade, including actions affecting the Strait of Hormuz.
The delegations from the US and Iran head to Islamabad on Friday, carrying a ceasefire that is already fraying, a Strait that is technically open and practically closed, and a negotiating agenda that would challenge even parties actually negotiating in good faith, which these groups are not. Prem Panicker continues his must read blog on the Iran War.
Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey met in Islamabad in what analysts say is the formal opening of a new diplomatic formation that could reshape the post-war regional order. Their immediate goal is a ceasefire; their larger ambition is to ensure that neither Iran nor Israel emerges from this war in a dominant position. Pakistan's foreign minister then flew directly to Beijing and mooted a Chinese role as guarantor of any eventual agreement. Prem Panicker continues his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
'American stature has been reduced because they have not been able to achieve their aims.'
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) has confirmed the implementation of a naval blockade on Iranian ports, enforcing strict measures on vessels entering or departing, significantly escalating tensions between the two nations.
The Iranian embassy also posted a video purportedly showing the aftermath of the strike, with plumes of smoke visible.
US President Donald Trump threatened to bomb Iran if a deal is not reached before the ceasefire ends, while Pakistan urged both sides to extend the truce and pursue diplomacy.
A top Iranian intelligence official was killed in an attack, with the Revolutionary Guard blaming the United States and Israel. The incident occurs amid escalating regional tensions, including IDF strikes on Hezbollah infrastructure and ongoing operations in Lebanon.
US President Donald Trump is set to provide an "operational update" on the progress of 'Operation Epic Fury' during a national address scheduled for 9 PM Wednesday (US local time).
Iran has issued a defiant response to United States President Donald Trump's claims regarding the conclusion of hostilities, asserting that it alone will 'determine' the end of military actions against American and Israel targets.
Taking Kharg would give the US control over virtually all of Iran's oil exports and thus provide significant leverage, notes Prem Panicker in his must read daily blog on the Gulf War. It would also put American troops within range of Iran's remaining missiles, drones, and artillery on a piece of real estate that is just eight square miles in size, and just 15 miles from the Iranian mainland.
Falling debris from an intercepted Iranian drone caused a 'limited fire' at Saudi Aramco's Ras Tanura refining facility in Saudi Arabia, Saudi Defence Ministry spokesperson Turki Al-Maliki said, according to Al Arabiya.
Amidst escalating tensions in West Asia, Iran claims to have inflicted heavy casualties on US forces in Dubai, a claim vehemently denied by the US Central Command, raising concerns about regional stability.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claims control of the Strait of Hormuz and reports striking a US destroyer, escalating tensions in the Middle East following retaliatory strikes between Iran, the US, and Israel.
Residents across the Gulf region, including the UAE, Bahrain, and Qatar, experienced fear and disruption following attacks, leading to flight suspensions and heightened security measures.
'Moments like this remind us how fragile life really is.'
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 United States has clarified that its naval blockade in West Asia targets Iranian ports and coastline, not the Strait of Hormuz, applying to all ships regardless of nationality. US officials warned Iran against threatening commercial ships and hinted at ceasefire negotiations as an alternative.
A Thai cargo vessel was struck by missiles near the Strait of Hormuz, leaving three crew members missing and prompting a rescue operation by the Royal Navy of Oman.
Iran's Ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, has said there are no ongoing talks between Tehran and Washington, DC, countering United States President Donald Trump's claims of peace overtures.
The United States is facing growing discontent from its Gulf allies after several countries in the region complained that they were not given advance notice of the US-Israel strike on Iran that triggered widespread retaliatory attacks, according to media reports.
Pakistan is set to host face-to-face talks between the United States and Iran, aiming to solidify a fragile ceasefire and prevent further conflict in West Asia. The discussions will focus on a long-term peace arrangement, including sanctions relief, regional security, and Iran's nuclear program.
Donald Trump has issued a stern warning to Iran, threatening massive retaliation if it attacks Qatar again, following reports of an Israeli strike on Iran's South Pars gas field and an attack on Qatar's LNG facilities.
'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.'
In the video, the Supreme Leader can be seen teaching religious studies to a group of pupils who are listening attentively. The IRIB said that the video of Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei was published for the first time.
Tedros said that the war in the Middle East has reached a perilous stage with strikes reportedly hitting the Natanz Enrichment Complex in Iran, and the Israeli city of Dimona, where a nuclear facility is located.
The question is whether the clocks allow enough time for two deeply mistrustful sides to get there, and whether the surface calm holds long enough for the paddling to produce something before the ceasefire ends on April 22, notes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the Iran War.
US President Donald Trump has announced plans to clear the Strait of Hormuz to secure the vital oil corridor, citing risks to global energy supplies and criticising other nations' inaction.
United States President Donald Trump on Friday signalled the US intention of going all out in its campaign against Iran's Islamic regime, warning Iran to watch out for what would happen today and saying that the US was winning the conflict despite what reports claimed.
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.
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.
An Indian worker was killed in an attack on a power and water desalination plant in Kuwait, according to Kuwait's Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy.
