Page 2 - Latest Updates on West Asia Conflict

Iran rules out US talks, says focus remains on defence amid conflict

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei says Tehran will not resume negotiations while the US continues military operations and alleged violations of the June 17 memorandum

Oil prices rise for 4th day as US strikes on Iran raise fears of escalation

Brent crude rises to $85.28 a barrel and WTI to $80.02 as renewed US-Iran tensions raise concerns over supply disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz

Iranian attacks target Bahrain, Kuwait as US launches more strikes on Iran

Iranian attacks targeted Bahrain and Kuwait early Thursday after the US reimposed a naval blockade on Iran and intensified its airstrike campaign in retaliation for Tehran's attacks on ships trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. The American strikes hit an Iranian army barracks, killed at least seven troops and wounded hundreds of people across the country, Iranian officials said. There was no immediate word on damage or casualties from the Iranian strikes. Days of back-and-forth strikes by the US and Iran across the Middle East - and renewed threats to the waterway crucial to global energy supplies - have shredded the interim deal to end the conflict and the region could tip back into all-out war. The US first imposed a blockade in April and lifted it last month after signing the interim deal that paused the fighting and set a 60-day period for negotiations over issues such as Iran's nuclear programme. Those talks have stalled as fighting over the Strait of Hormuz has ...

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US launches fresh strikes on Iran as standoff over Hormuz escalates

The US military said it has launched another round of strikes against Iran "to degrade their ability to attack commercial ships freely transiting the Strait of Hormuz." The strikes, which took place overnight and into early Monday in Iran, came after attacks by the military on Sunday morning in response to an Iranian strike on a container ship in the critical waterway the day before. Iran responded to those strikes by attacking Gulf Arab states in an escalating cycle of violence that left the negotiations between Tehran and Washington to end the war at the edge of collapse. AP's earlier story follows below The United States attacked Iran on Sunday over an Iranian strike on a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz that set it ablaze and left a crew member missing. Iran responded with attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and Oman - the nation on the other side of the strait that Tehran has pressed to collaborate in managing shipping traffic. The US struck again later in the day

India condemns attack on commercial ship off Oman coast; 1 Indian missing

The Ministry of External Affairs said 10 of the 11 Indian nationals on board the Cyprus-flagged GFS Galaxy had been rescued, while one was missing

Iran refuses talks with US until conditions on Hormuz, oil exports met

The comments came hours after the US demanded that Iran publicly declare all channels of the Strait of Hormuz open to shipping and pledge not to attack civilian vessels transiting the waterway

Pak PM holds talks with Iran, Qatar to revive stalled US-Iran negotiations

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held separate talks with the leaders of Iran and Qatar in an effort to revive the stalled US-Iran negotiations. The talks were held on Friday night as efforts picked up pace to mend the broken peace bridge between the warring sides after the recent escalation and attacks on the rival targets. In his conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Sharif expressed "deep concern over the recent escalation in tensions in the region" and underscored the urgent need to "restore regional peace and stability," according to a statement by the PM Office. He urged parties to "exercise restraint and refrain from any action that could jeopardise the hard-earned peace gains achieved over the past few months". Sharif stressed the importance of upholding the commitments undertaken under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), describing it as an enduring framework for promoting mutual understanding, respect and shared prosperity in the region and ...

US military prepared to 'decimate' Iran if assassination bid is made: Trump

The US president said he has ordered the military to be ready to launch strikes against Iran if Tehran carries out or attempts to assassinate him, saying orders could remain in force for a year

Bomb Iran 'like they've never seen before' if I'm assassinated: Trump

US president said he has instructed officials to launch unprecedented military action if Iran succeeds in an alleged assassination plot against him, while claiming he has long been Tehran's top target

Publicly declare Strait of Hormuz open, won't attack ships: US tells Iran

The US is demanding that Iran make a public statement saying the Strait of Hormuz is open and that ships crossing the vital corridor won't be attacked anymore, senior US officials said Friday, adding that internal Tehran power struggles have made it difficult to reach and keep a deal. The US officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe to reporters the state of play with Iran, said the resumption of strikes this week came after what they described as a rogue faction of Iranian hard-liners trying to sabotage the ceasefire between Tehran and Washington. It comes as US President Donald Trump reiterated on social media Friday that he views the interim ceasefire deal as "OVER!" But he said the US would continue talks aimed at putting a permanent end to the war. The officials said Friday that Trump is giving US negotiators limited time to reach a deal with Iran, but, in a sign of the challenges ahead, they underscored that the president had a wide range of options if talks .

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Crude oil prices will be the key driver of equities for now: Nilesh Shah

The oil market, Shah of Kotak AMC said, is signalling that supplies could get constrained again, which may lead to another increase in prices. All this will impact how equity markets play out.

Buy dips or sell rallies? Analysts' strategy amid West Asia crisis, Q1 results

The recovery seen in the Indian stock markets on Thursday, analysts said, was more on account of value buying at lower levels, but advise investors stay cautious.

Oil prices climb after fresh US strikes on Iran raise supply concerns

Brent crude futures rose 78 cents, or 1 per cent to $78.8 a barrel by 0054 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate crude futures were up 74 cents, or 1.01 per cent, at $74.26 a barrel