Trump may strike. He may announce productive talks and extend again. He may do both at the same time. Iran will not open the Strait on someone else's terms, so no matter what happens, that problem will remain unsolved. And the IRGC will still be collecting its $2 million toll from every ship bold enough to ask permission to pass.
For weeks, the war skirted the edge of catastrophe without tipping over. Missiles flew, there was much destruction, commanders were assassinated, cities across the Gulf and even in Israel struggled to absorb the shock. But one line held: Energy infrastructure, the arteries of the global economy, remained largely untouched. That is no longer true. Prem Panicker continues his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
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.
A Palau-flagged oil tanker with 15 Indian crew members was attacked off the coast of Oman, resulting in injuries. The incident occurred amidst rising tensions in the Middle East following attacks between Iran, the US, and Israel.
'No, India and China were not about to go to all-out war over a few rocks of Galwan.' 'The full picture of what went on at the highest level between two heads of State will not be known for a very, very long time and rightly so,' points out Colonel Anil A Athale, former head of the history division, ministry of defence.
'India was not obliged to protect the Iranian ship.' 'Once the Iranian ship left Indian waters, she was on her own.' 'Guilt tripping India is wrong.'
Trump also said that Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif, who had visited the White House last year, credited him for saving millions of lives by stopping the conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
'We are profoundly energy-dependent on the Gulf. That dependency must now be redirected towards the United States, because we require American permission to procure oil.' 'We additionally require Iranian permission to acquire oil from that source. So India now has to seek two separate permissions merely to secure its energy supply.' 'Should we be compelled to source from America, or from Venezuela -- which is, in effect, American-controlled supply -- that will inevitably carry a price premium, an elevated shipping cost, and a considerably extended delivery timeline, given the distances involved.'
We cannot simply have a 60-65 per cent import dependency in LPG, the bulk of which comes from just one volatile region -- West Asia, points out R Jagannathan.
Iran is fighting a different war: Older, slower, and in some ways more dangerous. Iran doesn't need to shoot down an F/A-18. It only needs to make the Strait of Hormuz feel dangerous long enough for insurance markets, shipping companies, and oil futures traders to do the rest. Prem Panicker continues his must-read daily blog on the war in the Middle East.
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.
The military command clarified in a statement published on X that the aircraft were engaged in error during active combat operations on Sunday.
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.
'The entire US ecosystem built over decades at the bases in the Gulf region, especially the UAE, costing trillions of dollars have been decimated, dealing a mortal blow to the US Central Command's war capability,' points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
US President Donald Trump has again credited himself for ending the conflict between India and Pakistan, asserting Norway controls the Nobel Peace Prize. He claims he deserves the honor for ending eight wars and saving millions of lives.
Deputy Chairman of Russia's National Security Council Dmitry Medvedev claims military victory in Ukraine is visible and emphasizes the need to plan for the aftermath. He also comments on Donald Trump's desire to be seen as a peacemaker.
India and Israel have elevated their relationship to a special strategic partnership, focusing on enhanced cooperation in trade, technology, and defense, while also addressing regional peace initiatives.
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.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged its citizens to immediately depart from several Middle Eastern countries, citing "serious safety risks."
US President Donald Trump asserted that the trade deal with India remains intact despite a Supreme Court ruling against his tariffs, while also claiming he used tariffs to stop a war between India and Pakistan.
The US-Israeli military campaign, dubbed "Operation Epic Fury" by Washington, has entered its third day, with US President Donald Trump stating that operations would continue "until all of our objectives are achieved."
Hours after United States President Donald Trump's claims of an Iran-Israel ceasefire, India on Tuesday said it stands ready to play its part to resolve the situation and insisted on 'dialogue and diplomacy' as the way forward.
US President Donald Trump announced a new global levy on imported items, resulting in a lower tariff rate for India, following a Supreme Court verdict against his previous sweeping tariffs.
The US attack on the Iranian nuclear facilities has triggered fears of a wider regional conflict, with many leading countries and blocs calling for restraint.
Claiming yet again that he solved the conflict between India and Pakistan, United States President Donald Trump has said that 'no one in history is more deserving than him' of the Nobel Peace Prize, as he criticised former President Barack Obama for getting the honour even though he 'didn't do anything'.
US President Donald Trump reiterated his claim that he "settled" the conflict between India and Pakistan, suggesting it averted a potential nuclear war. He also claimed that several planes were shot down during the conflict.
US President Donald Trump claimed that "five jets were shot down" during the conflict between India and Pakistan in May and repeated his assertion that the fighting ended following his intervention. India has maintained that the two sides halted their military actions following direct talks between their militaries without any mediation by the US.
Amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, the US has said it will not get involved in the conflict, stressing that it is "fundamentally none of our business." While acknowledging concerns about a potential nuclear war, Vice President J D Vance emphasized that the US cannot control India and Pakistan, but can encourage them to de-escalate. The US has also reiterated its support for direct dialogue between the two countries and encouraged efforts to improve communications.
Since May 10, when Trump announced on social media that India and Pakistan had agreed to a "full and immediate" ceasefire after a "long night" of talks mediated by Washington, he has repeated his claim over 70 times that he ended the conflict between India and Pakistan.
'Attacks on nuclear sites pose significant threats.'
Will rising tensions between US-Israel and Iran threaten crude oil supply through the Strait of Hormuz, putting India's fuel prices, imports, and economic stability at risk?
Afghans have deep self-respect and are the last people to put up with humiliation. Is it any surprise that relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have touched an all-time low and the two countries are now at war? asks M R Narayan Swamy.
According to a report by France 24, the US President did not say whether he meant nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed submarines. He also did not elaborate on the locations.
A White House official claims Donald Trump ended several conflicts, including the one between India and Pakistan, and deserves the Nobel Peace Prize. This claim is disputed by India.
Since May 10, when Trump announced on social media that India and Pakistan had agreed to a "full and immediate" ceasefire after a "long night" of talks mediated by Washington, he has repeated his claim over 60 times that he "helped settle" the tensions between the two neighbours.
US President Donald Trump on Saturday (local time) said that the United States has launched an attack on three Nuclear sites in Iran.
Donald Trump claimed that his intervention prevented a war between India and Pakistan, citing trade negotiations as leverage. India has refuted claims of US mediation in past conflicts.
Asked about the expectations from the US, Azar said Washington and Israel are "completely in sync". He said he felt that the US would "support" Israel's action.
President Donald Trump on Monday claimed that his administration stopped a 'nuclear conflict' between India and Pakistan, adding that he told the two countries America will do a 'lot of trade' with them if they stop the conflict.
'Some success has been achieved in raising the costs of terrorism for Pakistan.'
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances