The Manipur government has handed over the investigation into a bomb attack in Bishnupur district, which resulted in the deaths of two children, to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The decision follows protests and unrest in the region.
When missiles fly in this region, they are never just aimed at military targets.
Shares of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) tumbled on Tuesday, posting its biggest single-day decline in 19 months, amid controversy over its purchase of Russian oil and profit-booking after recent gains.
India summoned the Iranian envoy after two Indian vessels had to reverse course in the Strait of Hormuz following an incident of firing by Iran's Revolutionary Guards.
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.
Trump further alleged that Iran was behind the attacks on three vessels carrying Indian seafarers near the Hormuz Strait, which resulted in the deaths of three, despite the US Central Command having confirmed that the strikes were carried out by American naval forces, calling the incident "totally unacceptable."
US President Donald Trump has indefinitely extended the ceasefire with Iran at the request of Pakistan, aiming to allow Tehran's leadership time to form a unified proposal to end the seven-week 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.
'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.'
Sensex and Nifty post steepest weekly loss in over a year, falling nearly 3 per cent.
Fight on toward goals that keep receding, or exit with most objectives unmet. Trump is agitated, his poll numbers falling below the Plimsoll line, his base fractured between those who back the war and those who remember that he campaigned on ending them.
A group of Indian sailors recount their harrowing experience of being detained in Iran on suspicion of smuggling, and their subsequent escape from the country as regional tensions escalated into open conflict.
The US Department of the Treasury on Wednesday imposed sanctions on Russia's two largest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, in an effort to pressure the Kremlin to end its war in Ukraine.
There are enough people at the top decision-making level in Tehran who are still willing to negotiate, provided Trump can create the right setting for the negotiation to acquire a dynamic of its own, points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
An India-flagged LPG tanker, Jag Vikram, has successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz following a temporary ceasefire between the United States and Iran, marking a significant development for India's energy security.
The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Defence has announced that the air force and air defence forces have successfully intercepted a significant number of aerial threats following a large-scale Iranian attack that commenced on February 28.
...is a way out, notes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the Iran War. What the indefinite extension produces is a prolonged condition of not-war-not-peace, in which oil markets cannot stabilise, Asian refineries cannot plan, European governments cannot stop subsidising consumption they cannot afford, and the next flashpoint -- a seized tanker, a miscalculated drone strike, a Truth Social post that claims too much -- is one news cycle away.
The United States Central Command confirmed that the USS Rafael Peralta intercepted an Iranian-flagged ship, enforcing a maritime blockade against Iran. The US military is prepared to resume major combat operations if ordered by the President.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will visit Beijing to discuss the West Asia conflict, the Strait of Hormuz blockade, and bilateral relations with Chinese leaders.
The US has sanctioned an Indian national based in the United Arab Emirates and two India-based entities for operating as part of Iran's shadow fleet and involved in shipping Iranian oil. The US Department of the Treasury said Jugwinder Singh Brar, who owns multiple shipping companies, operates as part of Iran's shadow fleet, which the US said is used to evade sanctions and transport Iranian oil. Brar also owns or controls India-based shipping company Global Tankers Private Limited and petrochemical sales company B and P Solutions Private Limited. The sanctions come as part of a US campaign of maximum pressure on Iran and target the country's petroleum and petrochemical sectors.
'We kept our bags packed, ready to jump into the sea. Many times, I felt it could be my last day.'
'America is adopting the typical 'my way or the highway'/'Either you are with us or against us' stance.' 'This is a policy India is not going to accept.'
India has denied making any payments to Iran to secure safe passage for its vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, following reports that Indian vessels were fired upon in the region.
The vessels are carrying around 92,600 metric tonnes of LPG and have 33 and 27 Indian seafarers onboard, respectively. Visuals showed Pine Gas crossing the critical chokepoint.
India has condemned the escalating attacks on commercial shipping in West Asia, particularly after a Thai-flagged vessel en route to India's Kandla Port was targeted in the Strait of Hormuz. The attacks have disrupted global oil and gas supplies, impacting India's energy imports.
With the Iran war escalating sharply and crisis deepening in the global energy market, India on Monday unveiled a coordinated plan to support exporters and shippers caught in the fallout.
...reopen for up to six months. Until then, the Strait stays nearly closed. The world pays. And no one, including the man who started this, can say when it ends, notes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the Iran War.
Expanding the scope of hostilities, Zayed Port in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, was also targeted by missile strikes launched by Iran, according to a report by the Iranian state broadcaster, Press TV.
Whether Trump will actually press ahead with the oil sanctions remains unclear, since keeping Russian oil out of the world market risks high oil prices which could boomerang on the US economy and be damaging politically for Trump, points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Tensions between Washington, DC and Tehran have reached a boiling point, as a heavy barrage of aerial strikes was reported across multiple locations in Iran on Tuesday.
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.
Amidst rising Middle East tensions, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar highlights India's strategic dialogue with Iran to safeguard maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, ensuring India's energy security and continued oil trade.
Iranian forces fired upon three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, with one possibly headed for Gujarat, raising concerns about maritime security in the strategic waterway.
The Indian government has reduced excise duty on petrol and diesel to mitigate the impact of rising global crude prices, triggered by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. This move aims to provide relief to consumers and oil companies amidst volatile international oil markets.
The Kremlin has announced it will not disclose data on crude oil exports to India, citing concerns about 'ill-wishers'. This decision follows reports of increased Russian oil supplies to India and China amid geopolitical tensions.
The Indian government reports casualties among its seafarers due to the ongoing crisis in West Asia and outlines measures to ensure the safety and welfare of its maritime personnel.
According to the report, the Pentagon is deploying the USS Tripoli ARG, along with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), part of its own strike group.
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.
India's fertiliser subsidy bill for the current financial year (FY27) is projected to increase by approximately 20% due to surging global prices, primarily driven by the West Asia crisis, a senior official confirmed. Despite this, retail prices for urea and di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) will remain unchanged, ensuring adequate supply for the kharif season.
Petrol diesel price today March 20, 2026: IOCL & HPCL hike premium petrol (XP95, Speed, Power) by 2/litre and industrial diesel by 22/litre. Regular petrol in Delhi 94.77, diesel 87.67 unchanged. Full city-wise rates inside.
