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Hopes for fresh negotiations and U.S.–Iran talks have risen once again on Wednesday even as the United States tightened its military blockade of Iranian ports and Tehran warned of wider retaliation across the region, underscoring the fragile overlap between diplomacy and escalation in the ongoing war. File Photo: AF Post U.S. President Donald Trump said a second round of talks could take place “over the next two days,” indicating that discussions may again be held in Islamabad as backchannel efforts continue. He also described the war as “very close to over” in remarks from an interview scheduled to air Wednesday, repeating earlier assertions of imminent resolution despite continued hostilities on the ground. At the multilateral level, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said it was “highly probable” that talks would resume, citing recent discussions with Pakistan’s foreign minister, as Islamabad intensifies its mediation push. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected t...

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said he received a call from U.S. President Donald Trump during which both leaders reviewed bilateral cooperation and discussed the escalating West Asia conflict, with a shared emphasis on keeping the Strait of Hormuz “open and secure” amid mounting global energy and trade disruptions. File Photo via: Henxist on X In a post on X, Modi said, “Received a call from my friend President Donald Trump. We reviewed the substantial progress achieved in our bilateral cooperation in various sectors,” adding that both sides “are committed to further strengthening our Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership in all areas.”  He said they “also discussed the situation in West Asia and stressed the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open and secure,” underscoring the waterway’s centrality to global economic stability. The conversation comes as India intensifies parallel domestic and external measures to manage the cascading impact of the co...

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday chaired a second high-level meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg to review India’s preparedness in the context of the ongoing West Asia conflict , with a focus on safeguarding essential supplies, stabilising prices and insulating the economy from prolonged global disruptions.  Representational Image: USS Tripoli (LHA 7) sails in the Indian Ocean, March 29; Via: CentCom The Cabinet Secretary briefed the CCS on measures to ensure uninterrupted availability of petroleum products, particularly LPG and LNG, along with sufficient power supply, noting that sourcing is being diversified with new inflows from multiple countries. The Prime Minister directed that “all efforts must be made to safeguard the citizens from the impact of this conflict” and emphasised coordinated action across ministries. The CCS review comes alongside a detailed inter-ministerial briefing earlier in the day, where multiple de...

U.S. President Donald Trump sharply escalated tensions with European allies on Tuesday, lashing out at countries that have refused to support the war against Iran even as several governments moved to block military cooperation amid growing legal and economic concerns.  In posts on Truth Social, Trump criticised allies including the United Kingdom and France, telling countries struggling with fuel shortages to “go get your own oil” from the Gulf and suggesting they should “ just TAKE IT ” from the Strait of Hormuz, remarks that further rattled already volatile energy markets.  Image Via: @coinbureau on X His comments came as France blocked Israeli aircraft carrying military supplies from using its airspace, Italy denied U.S. bombers landing access in Sicily, and Spain reaffirmed it would not permit U.S. use of its bases, with Madrid declaring it would not “accept lectures from anyone.”  While the U.K. has allowed U.S. use of its bases despite calling the war illegal, ...

Iran has again rejected claims of active negotiations with the United States even as it confirmed ongoing indirect communication, showing the widening contradictions in diplomatic messaging around efforts to end the month-long war.  Image Via: MFA China Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Al Jazeera that Tehran has been “receiving direct messages” from U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff “as before,” but stressed these exchanges “do not constitute negotiations,” adding that such communications include “threats or exchanged views” routed through regional intermediaries and handled formally by Iran’s foreign ministry.  He categorically denied any engagement on Washington’s reported proposals, stating “there is no truth to the claim of negotiations with any party in Iran” and that “we have not sent any response to the 15 American proposals, nor have we submitted any proposals or conditions.”  Araghchi reiterated Tehran’s position that ending the conflict requires mor...

One month into the ongoing war, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on March 31 framed the conflict as a decisive and continuing campaign against Iran, saying “in every generation, they rise up against us to destroy us,” and asserting that Israel, alongside the United States, has “inflicted 10 plagues upon the axis of evil—and achieved 10 monumental accomplishments,” even as he acknowledged the human cost, stating that “there are also painful prices” and that “just yesterday… we lost four of our finest sons.” File Photo: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Addressing the nation, Netanyahu said that after “a month into our joint campaign… we are systematically crushing the regime of terror,” describing Iran as a state that for decades called for the destruction of Israel and pursued that goal through “nuclear programs, ballistic missiles, and the funding and arming of terror proxies,” while claiming that the current war has reversed that trajectory, arguing that “before ...

✍️ Written by Saket Suman Wars often appear at first as regional confrontations defined by the geography of the battlefield but the Iran war that is now unfolding across West Asia is revealing something far more consequential that has served a systemic shock to the global order. What began as a military escalation between Iran, the United States and Israel has rapidly expanded into a crisis that touches the most critical systems underpinning modern globalization, namely energy supply, maritime trade, aviation networks, financial markets and the millions of workers who sustain them. The war is not only being fought in the skies over the Middle East or the waters of the Persian Gulf but it is also unfolding across the infrastructure that powers the global economy itself. Representational Image Via: @RedPrecariat on X At the center of this crisis lies the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow maritime corridor through which roughly one-fifth of the world...

U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States is engaged in active negotiations with Iran and has paused planned strikes on key Iranian energy infrastructure, even as he claimed American military operations have “decimated” Tehran’s capabilities, marking a sharp dual-track approach of coercion and diplomacy in the ongoing war.  Image Via: @WhiteHouse on X Speaking during a swearing-in ceremony for the new Homeland Security Secretary and later at a Memphis security roundtable, Trump said Washington had held “very good discussions” with Iran over the past two days and was delaying attacks on “major energy and electricity targets” to test the possibility of a broader agreement. In running remarks that underscored both escalation and restraint, Trump said the U.S. had been “going to have the privilege of shooting down a very big electric generation plant… and we held off based on the fact that we’re negotiating,” adding that “they want to make a deal so badly… we’re actuall...

United States  President Donald Trump has said that he would postpone threatened strikes on Iran’s power plants and energy infrastructure for five days. He claimed “very good and productive conversations” were underway toward “a complete and total resolution of our hostilities in the Middle East” but Iranian officials have publicly denied any negotiations and described the move as a retreat under pressure. File Photo Via: StandUpForTrmp In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump said that “based on the tenor and tone of these in depth, detailed, and constructive conversations, which will continue throughout the week,” he had “instructed the Department of War to postpone any and all military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for a five day period, subject to the success of the ongoing meetings and discussions.”  He later told reporters that Iran wants “to make a deal,” and claimed U.S. envoys, including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, had ...

Iran’s leadership signalled defiance on Sunday as tensions escalated across diplomatic, military and economic fronts, with President Masoud Pezeshkian declaring in a brief message that “we will bring the enemy to its knees,” while Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi pushed back against Western pressure over maritime security, stating that “the Strait of Hormuz is not closed” and that “ships hesitate because insurers fear the war of choice you initiated—not Iran,” adding that “freedom of navigation cannot exist without freedom of trade. Respect both—or expect neither.”  Netan y ah u  at at the arenas in Arad and Dimona; Via: Avi Ohayon, GPO, Official Channel The remarks come as the United States has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to reopen the Strait, warning of strikes on Iranian infrastructure, sharply raising the risk of further escalation. The statements have now triggered immediate international reactions , with Emmanuel Macron calling for restraint after speaki...

U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a direct warning to Iran , saying that if Tehran does not “fully open, without threat, the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours,” the United States “will hit and obliterate their various power plants, starting with the biggest one first.” The statement, posted publicly, marks one of the most explicit escalation threats yet tied directly to the security of the world’s most critical energy chokepoint . File Photo Via: BRICS Info The warning comes amid an intensifying war in West Asia , where maritime security, energy infrastructure and civilian supply chains have all come under strain. The Strait of Hormuz handles a significant share of global oil and LNG flows, and any disruption has immediate consequences for global energy markets, shipping routes and downstream economies, including major importers such as India. Trump’s latest threat follows a series of seemingly contradictory moves by Washington. Even as U.S. forces have carried out strikes targeti...

Iran launched missile attacks on southern Israel late Saturday, striking the cities of Arad and Dimona, wounding dozens of people and causing extensive damage to residential buildings, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described it as a “ very difficult evening in the battle for our future ” and vowed that Israel would “ continue striking our enemies on all fronts .” Verified Image from the shelling in Arad from Fire and Rescue Agency of Israel Via: Official Channel The Israeli military said it had “identified missiles launched from Iran toward Israeli territory,” with air defence systems activated and the Home Front Command issuing emergency alerts instructing civilians to take shelter. Rescue and emergency teams were deployed across multiple impact sites in southern Israel, with helicopters and ground forces assisting civilians as authorities warned the public to follow safety instructions. 🔴 Aerial footage of the scene in Arad declared as mass casualty event. The wounded...

Iran on Saturday used its highest-level engagement with India to sharply frame the ongoing war as “unlawful aggression” by the United States and Israel, with President Masoud Pezeshkian telling Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Iran “did not initiate the war” and that attacks were carried out “without any justification, logic, or legal basis,” even as Modi condemned strikes on energy infrastructure, stressed freedom of navigation, and called for an early return to peace through dialogue. File Photo of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian; Via: ShaykhSulaiman According to an official Iranian readout , Pezeshkian outlined what he described as the “dimensions of the aggression,” alleging that U.S. and Israeli strikes had resulted in the deaths of senior leaders, military commanders and civilians, including “innocent schoolchildren,” and claimed that a U.S. strike on a school in Minab led to the killing of 168 children.  He rejected U.S. assertions that the campaign was aimed...

India on Saturday sharpened its diplomatic outreach to both sides of the widening West Asia conflict, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to convey Eid and Nowruz greetings while explicitly condemning attacks on “critical infrastructure in the region” that “threaten regional stability and disrupt global supply chains,” and reiterating the need to “safeguard freedom of navigation” and keep shipping lanes “open and secure,” even as he acknowledged Iran’s support in ensuring the safety of Indian nationals.  File Photo of PM NaMo with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian; PMO Crop Via: BreakingMinutes The call marks a notable step in restoring high-level engagement after the Ministry of External Affairs had earlier indicated that communication with Iranian leadership was difficult to establish in the initial days of the war due to the rapidly evolving conflict environment. In an earlier conversation on March 13 , Modi had alr...