Page 15 - Iran

Govt permits 4 Iranian oil tankers to berth for Reliance at Sikka port

Iranian oil is often transported by a shadow fleet of vessels that lack internationally recognised insurance and safety certifications

US-Iran set for talks as Netanyahu authorises negotiations with Lebanon

Negotiators from Iran and the United States prepared Friday for high-level talks planned to start a day later in Islamabad, seeking to steady a ceasefire teetering over Israel and Hezbollah exchanging fire and Tehran's chokehold over the Strait of Hormuz. US Vice President JD Vance was set to take off from Washington, with Iran still remaining mum over its team as it tried to pressure Washington to halt Israeli attacks in Lebanon. The semiofficial Tasnim news agency, close to Iran's Revolutionary Guard, claimed that talks would "remain suspended" otherwise. Meanwhile, Kuwait said it faced a drone attack Thursday night that it blamed on Iran and its militia allies in the region. Though Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard denied launching any assault, it has in the past carried out attacks across the Mideast it did not claim. In addition to talks in Iran, Israel-Lebanon negotiations are also expected to begin next week at the State Department in Washington - a potential boost to .

China's independent refiners buy Iran oil at premiums to Brent for 1st time

Iranian oil typically trades at discounts to Brent because of the sanctions and Chinese independent refiners, also known as teapots, are its biggest buyers

Pakistan West Asia talks: No official word on arrival of US, Iran delegates

Uncertainty shrouded the US-Iran dialogue, as there was no official word about the arrival of delegates on Friday, the day set for the start of talks between the two warring sides, even as Pakistan waived visa requirements for journalists and officials attending talks. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, while announcing a two-week ceasefire on Wednesday, had stated that the two countries would hold talks in Islamabad on April 10. He had tagged presidents of the United States and Iran and other officials in his statement on X. Iran's ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amir Moghadam in a statement confirmed that a 10-member Iran delegation would arrive in Islamabad. "Despite skepticism of Iranian public opinion due to repeated ceasefire violations by the Israeli regime to sabotage the diplomatic initiative, invited by Hon PM Shehbaz Sharif, Iranian delegation arrives tonight in Islamabad for serious talks based on 10 points proposed by Iran," he said on X on Thursday. Hours later, he deleted t

Iran's battered leaders emerge from war confident and with new cards

For Iran's theocratic rulers, just surviving the US-Israeli onslaught means victory. But the seeds of their next crisis may already be planted

China calculates its next steps in Iran ceasefire ahead of Trump's visit

With a fragile ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran holding for now, China is calculating its role in helping find a durable endgame to the war in the Middle East. After prodding China, which is more reliant on Persian Gulf oil than the US, to get involved in reopening the choked-off Strait of Hormuz, US President Donald Trump told French news outlet Agence France-Presse this week that he believed China played a part in encouraging Iran to agree to this week's temporary truce. Three diplomats who were familiar with China's behind-the-scenes efforts also confirmed that Beijing, the biggest purchaser of Iranian oil, used its leverage to urge the Iranians back to the negotiating table. It was a major moment for Beijing, which had decried the US and Israel's war against its economic partner Iran as misguided before getting directly involved in the push to call off the fighting, including discouraging strikes by Iran. Talks between the sides are expected to begin in Pakistan this

Iran's ex-foreign minister dies from wounds sustained in US-Israeli attack

Former FM Kamal Kharrazi was heading the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, an advisory body established in 2006 that reports directly to Iran's supreme leadership

Kuwait claims attack by Iran, Saudi says pipeline damaged despite ceasefire

Kuwait has accused Iran and its proxies of launching drone attacks targeting it on Thursday despite the two-week ceasefire in the Iran war, as Saudi Arabia said recent attacks damaged a key pipeline in the kingdom. The statement from Kuwait's foreign ministry, carried by the state-run KUNA news agency, put new pressure on the ceasefire ahead of planned talks on Saturday between the United States and Iran in Islamabad. Kuwait's foreign ministry said the drone attacks "targeted some vital Kuwaiti facilities" Thursday night. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia's state-run Saudi Press Agency, quoting an anonymous official, acknowledged a recent attack in the war that damaged its crucial East-West pipeline. That pipeline carries oil out to the Red Sea and avoids the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran maintains a chokehold on despite the pause in the fighting. Earlier in a potential boost to Middle East ceasefire efforts, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that he authorised direct .

Watch: Donald Trump’s full address on the Iran war | Strait of Hormuz | White House | Oil prices

In his first address since launching coordinated military strikes with Israel on Iran, US President Donald Trump said Washington is close to achieving its military objectives and warned of intensified

"We are going to hit them very hard...": Trump on Iran War | US-Iran war | Strait of Hormuz

The war in West Asia may escalate further as US President Donald Trump warned that Washington could launch stronger attacks in the next two to three weeks if talks fail.

How LPG shortage is forcing India’s migrants away from cities | US-Iran war | Strait of Hormuz

An LPG shortage linked to the West Asia conflict is beginning to reshape life in India’s cities. From rising prices to job losses, migrant workers are being pushed out of metros,

Why Nomura, Goldman Sachs & others are cautious on Indian markets | West Asia war | Business news

Top global brokerages, Nomura, Goldman Sachs, UBS, and Bernstein, have all downgraded Indian equities. What’s behind this sudden shift? And why are Korea and China now back in focus?

West Asia conflict: What is the US, Iran 45-day ceasefire plan? | US-Iran war | Strait of Hormuz

The United States, Iran and regional mediators are reportedly exploring a 45-day ceasefire as tensions in West Asia escalate.

FBI warned of Iran-linked threat to US even as White House downplayed risk

President Donald Trump publicly has minimized the possibility of Iranian attacks on American soil in response to other intelligence assessments in recent months

Trump finds his offramp with Iran, but causes of war remain unresolved

President Trump's short-term intimidation may have worked, but the fundamental divides with Iran are as sharp as they were in February

Israel backs ceasefire but deal excludes fighting in Lebanon: Netanyahu

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel backed the US ceasefire with Iran but that the deal doesn't cover fighting against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Netanyahu's office said in the statement Wednesday that Israel supported US President Donald Trump's decision to suspend strikes against Iran for two weeks subject to Iran immediately opening the Strait of Hormuz and stopping all attacks on the US Israel and countries in the region. His office said Israel also supports US efforts to ensure Iran no longer poses a nuclear or missile threat.

Iran includes 'acceptance of enrichment' in Farsi version of ceasefire plan

Iran in the Farsi-language version of its 10-point ceasefire plan included the phrase "acceptance of enrichment" for its nuclear programme, something that was missing in English versions shared by Iranian diplomats to journalists. It wasn't immediately clear why that term was missing. However, US President Donald Trump had said ending Iran's nuclear programme entirely was a key point of the war. Trump, after Iran issued its 10-point plan, had described it as fraudulent, without elaborating.

Pakistan invites US, Iran for talks in Islamabad 'to settle all disputes'

Pakistan on Wednesday invited the US and Iran for talks in Islamabad on Friday. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in a social media post announced that the US and Iran, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire amid the ongoing West Asia conflict. "With the greatest humility, I am pleased to announce that the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere, including Lebanon and elsewhere, effective immediately," he said. Sharif said Pakistan has invited delegations from both countries to Islamabad on April 10 for face-to-face talks aimed at reaching a conclusive agreement "to settle all disputes". The prime minister expressed hope that the proposed "Islamabad Talks" would help achieve sustainable peace and stability in the region. The development follows Pakistan's diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the conflict that began on Feb 28 and had reached a turning point after US Preside

Iran frees French detainees after 3.5 years; return underway: Macron

Iran has allowed two French former detainees, Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris, to leave the country, French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday. They had been holed up in French diplomatic premises there since their release from prison. "CEcile Kohler and Jacques Paris are free and on route toward French territory, after three and a half years of detention in Iran," Macron tweeted. The green light for them to leave Iran, long sought by France, signalled how Iran is differentiating between nations, treating some favourably and others as foes, in the context of the Iran war. Macron has distanced France from the conflict, saying his country wasn't consulted in advance about the US-Israel strikes and didn't want the war. Macron thanked Oman for playing a mediation role. "It's a relief for us all and obviously for their families," Macron wrote.

Aluminium extrusion industry cuts production amid West Asia crisis

The country's aluminium extrusion sector has significantly curtailed production capacities due to the escalating crisis in West Asia, according to Aluminium Extrusion Manufacturers Association of India (ALEMAI). The disruption in global supply chains, triggered by heightened geopolitical tensions in the region, has forced companies to scale back operations from an average annual output of 1.2-1.3 million tonnes, or about 1 lakh tonnes per month, to just 50,000-60,000 tonnes currently. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event here, ALEMAI Secretary Ankur Aggarwal said, "The capacity has been scaled down. We have been producing 1.2-1.3 million tonnes on an average yearly. We were producing one lakh tonnes every month and it scaled down to 50,000-60,000 tonnes." Highlighting the industry's concerns, ALEMAI President Jitendra Chopra said, "India's midstream and downstream aluminium sectors are undergoing a severe contraction, with production declining by 40 per cent to 50 per