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The Indian government on Friday expanded support for exporters hit by the ongoing West Asia conflict by widening the scope of its RELIEF scheme, even as it detailed broader domestic stabilisation measures across energy, logistics and citizen safety amid continued disruption in the Gulf region. File Photo: DD India Screengrab The government said Egypt and Jordan have been added to the list of eligible destinations under RELIEF — Resilience & Logistics Intervention for Export Facilitation — a time-bound initiative launched on March 19 to support exporters facing “extraordinary freight escalation, heightened insurance premia and war-related export risks” linked to disruptions in the West Asia maritime corridor. The scheme, implemented through the Export Credit Guarantee Corporation (ECGC), provides insurance support, reimbursement assistance and facilitation for shipments already undertaken as well as future exports. Officials clarified that exporters obtaining a fresh ECGC Whole Turn...

Iran on Friday said it had fully reopened the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping, but U.S. President Donald Trump insisted that the American naval blockade targeting Iranian vessels and ports would remain in place until a broader agreement with Tehran is reached, including on its nuclear program, underscoring continued tensions despite signs of de-escalation. Representational Image: AF Post Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced on X that the strategic waterway — through which roughly 20% of global oil supplies transit — was “now fully open to commercial vessels,” signalling a partial stabilisation in maritime flows as a 10-day truce between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon appeared to hold. Trump initially welcomed the reopening, stating the strait was “fully open and ready for full passage,” but within minutes clarified that U.S. policy would not change, declaring that the naval blockade would remain “in full force” and continue “UNTIL SUCH TIME...

The Indian government has detailed an expansive, multi-sector response to the ongoing West Asia conflict , combining energy stabilisation, MSME support, maritime safeguards and sustained diplomatic outreach, as the government sought to cushion domestic impact while navigating escalating global disruptions. Image: PIB Screengrab Via: @Indsamachar on X At the most recent inter-ministerial briefing in New Delhi on Wednesday, officials said the government remains “committed to ensuring adequate support to MSMEs through coordinated policy measures,” highlighting that more than 5.27 lakh credit guarantees worth ₹92,000 crore were approved in February–March alone, alongside a sharp expansion in collateral-free lending limits and continued growth in credit flow to the sector. The briefing underscored that energy supply remains a central priority amid disruptions linked to the Strait of Hormuz, with authorities maintaining that “100% supply is being made to Domestic LPG, Domestic PNG and ...

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...

 The United States has begun enforcing a naval blockade targeting ships linked to Iranian ports, marking a significant escalation in the six-week-long conflict between the U.S.-Israel coalition and Iran and shifting the confrontation toward economic warfare.  Representational Image: Visegrad 24 The blockade, which U.S. Central Command had earlier indicated would take effect Monday evening Iran time, applies to vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports or coastal waters, while ships using non-Iranian ports are not being targeted.  Although no formal operational announcement was issued at the time of enforcement, the move effectively seeks to restrict Iran’s maritime trade and energy exports through the Gulf. U.S. President Donald Trump said vessels had continued to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, claiming that 34 ships transited the waterway on Sunday, though no independent confirmation was available.  He also repeated assertions that Iran had reached out seeking a...

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...

The Indian government has now said it has moved to stabilise critical sectors and protect citizens as the West Asia war disrupts energy flows and global supply chains. Government officials detailed a sweeping set of emergency measures spanning fuel availability, shipping security and large-scale evacuations.  According to a government communique , all refineries are operating at high capacity with “adequate crude inventories” while petrol pumps across the country remain fully functional, even as authorities acknowledged “abnormal increase in crude prices” and instances of panic buying driven by rumours.  File Photo Via: @HardeepSPuri on X To shield consumers, the government has reduced excise duty on petrol and diesel by ₹10 per litre and imposed export levies on diesel and aviation turbine fuel to prioritise domestic supply, while reiterating that “there are adequate stocks of petrol and diesel available at all Petrol Pumps in the country” and urging citizens to avoid pa...

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, ...