Page 21 - Latest Updates on West Asia Conflict

Won't use nuclear weapons against Iran, idea 'unacceptable': Trump

Trump said the United States has a strong economy and sufficient oil supply, added that several ships are now heading to the US instead of the Strait of Hormuz

'I don't want to rush': Trump on ending Iran war as negotiations drag on

"I don't want to rush myself," said US President Donald Trump, who added that Iran's leadership is in "turmoil." Trump in an exchange with reporters in the Oval Office also pushed back against questions that the conflict is exceeding the four-to-six week timeline that he and aides previously set for the war. "I took the country out militarily in the first four weeks. I took it out militarily," Trump said. "Now all we're doing is sitting back and seeing what deal (we make). And if they don't want to make a deal, then I'll finish it up militarily." Trump has ordered the US military to "shoot and kill" Iranian small boats choking the Strait of Hormuz. In a social media post Thursday morning, he said the military is intensifying its mine clearing efforts in the critical waterway. The move intensified the US-Iran standoff in the Persian Gulf and raised questions about efforts to end the war. Meanwhile, the US military said it seized another tanker Thursday associated with smuggling Ira

A new era and new leadership: The generals who are running Iran

The killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ushered in a new form of collective leadership in the country, with more power for the Revolutionary Guards

Donald Trump orders US Navy to 'shoot and kill' Iranian boats in Hormuz

Earlier in the day, the US military said it had seized another tanker allegedly linked to the smuggling of Iranian oil

US awaits Iran's response on peace talks as tension rises over Hormuz

For its part, Iran has said it will not resume negotiations while a US naval blockade on its ports is in place

Iran war opens opportunities in renewable, CGD cos, but risks remain: Kotak

Iran war-led energy crisis may boost shift to renewable energy sources. Kotak Institutional Equities sees growth for CGD companies but warns of valuation, margin and demand risks

A look at China's behind-the-scenes role in West Asia war diplomacy

China's role as an unofficial mediator in the latest war in the Middle East is drawing attention across the world as it seeks to project the image of being a responsible global power while US actions are straining its long-standing alliances. China's profile in international diplomacy has risen in recent years, thanks to active efforts from its diplomats. Long reluctant to get involved in conflicts far from its borders, it has nevertheless emerged as a major player with attempts to mediate conflicts from Southeast Asia to Europe. With the Iran war, Beijing is not an official mediator, but all parties - including Washington and Tehran - say it has played an important role in trying to de-escalate the conflict. Experts say Beijing's strategies for diplomacy in multiple conflicts have looked similar and have had mixed success in influencing negotiations, but the efforts come at an opportune time, as US actions under President Donald Trump have increased tensions with traditional ...

Iran again tightens grip on shipping in Strait of Hormuz with fresh attacks

Traffic in the strait has all but halted as Iran renews its attacks, striking two vessels on Wednesday; more than 300 ships linked to Iran have passed through the strait since the war began

Trump says Iran will free detained women after his request, halt executions

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said Iran respected his request, will free women whose release he demanded. The president said he has been informed that four of the women will be "released immediately," while four others will be sentenced to one month each in prison. "I very much appreciate that Iran, and its leaders, respected my request ... and terminated the planned execution," Trump wrote on the Truth Social platform. He said the women protesters were expected to be executed Wednesday. Rights groups that monitor Iran had said two of the women were already released on bail in March, and two others were known to face charges that carry the death sentences. They had been arrested during the January anti-government protests. Trump re-posted a photo of the women, including two teen girls, on Tuesday on social media, which a conservative activist noted are facing prosecution in Iran. The Iranian judiciary responded promptly, denying that any of them were on the verge of ...

Iranian Prez slams US for 'hypocritical' stance amid ceasefire extension

Pezeshkian's remarks come after US President Donald Trump said he had decided to extend the ceasefire with Iran to give its leadership more time to come up with a unified proposal for negotiations

Iran fires on 3 ships in Strait of Hormuz as US blockade holds, talks stall

Iran fired on three ships in the Strait of Hormuz and seized two of them on Wednesday, intensifying its assault on shipping in the key waterway. The attacks came a day after US President Donald Trump extended a ceasefire while maintaining an American blockade of Iranian ports. The standoff between the US and Iran has effectively choked off nearly all exports through the strait - where 20% of the world's traded oil passes in peacetime - with no end in sight. Iranian media said the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard was bringing the two ships to Iran, marking a further escalation, though the White House said the seizures didn't violate ceasefire terms. The conflict has already sent gas prices skyrocketing far beyond the region and raised the cost of food and a wide array of other products. The price of Brent crude oil, the international standard, nosed over $100 per barrel, marking a 35% increase from prewar levels, but stock markets still appear to be shrugging it off. The European Uni

Best of BS Opinion: West Asia ceasefire welcome, but road ahead unclear

From US-Iran tensions and AI-led drug trials to urban inequality and regulatory norms, today's Best of BS Opinion curates key editorials and columns shaping the discourse

Iran fires on 3 ships, seizes two in Hormuz, escalating crisis further

Iran fired on three ships in the Strait of Hormuz and seized two of them on Wednesday, intensifying its assault on shipping in the key waterway a day after US President Donald Trump extended a ceasefire while maintaining an American blockade of Iranian ports. Iranian media said the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard was bringing the two ships to Iran after seizing them in the strait, through which 20 per cent of the world's oil passes in peacetime. The standoff over Iran's closure of the strait and the US blockade raised doubts about when or if talks would resume to end the crisis. The conflict has already sent gas prices skyrocketing far beyond the region and raised the cost of food and a wide array of other products. The longer the strait remains closed, the more severe and widespread the effects will be - and the longer it will take the economy to bounce back. The European Union energy commissioner, Dan Jrgensen, warned of lasting impact for consumers and business, likening the ...

India denies any payment to Iran for Hormuz passage, calls reports fake

India on Wednesday denied making any payments - either in cash or cryptocurrency - to Iran to secure safe passage for its vessels through the Strait of Hormuz amid heightened tensions in the region. The clarification came after two Indian vessels had to turn back from the Strait of Hormuz after Iranian forces fired upon them as they attempted to cross the crucial waterway on April 18. Before turning back, the captain of Indian tanker Sanmar Herald, in an audio recording that has surfaced, is heard pleading with Iranian forces to stop firing despite prior clearance to pass the Strait of Hormuz. "This is motor vessel, Sanmar Herald. You gave me clearance to go, my name is second on your list... You are firing now. Let me turn back." While New Delhi has consistently rejected claims of any financial arrangements with Tehran for ship movement through the critical energy corridors, some reports linked the April 18 incident to a crypto scam. Reports suggest scammers are offering shipowner

I've turned bullish on the markets after a long time: Andrew Holland

Andrew Holland, head - new asset class, Nippon India Asset Management in a Q&Q with Puneet Wadhwa says that the markets are assuming that the West Asia conflict won't be prolonged.

IRGC seizes two vessels in Strait of Hormuz, cites 'red line' breach

Iranian news agencies, citing an official statement from the IRGC Navy, said the vessels MSC Francesca and Epaminondas were seized and redirected towards Iranian territory

Oil prices rise on reports of ships being hit in Hormuz, Brent above $100

Brent crude futures were ​up $1.59, or 1.6 per cent, at $100.07 a barrel at 0842 GMT while West Texas Intermediate futures rose $1.51, ‌or 1.7 per cent, to $91.18

2 ships attacked in Strait of Hormuz, complicating efforts to resume talks

Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard opened fire Wednesday on a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz, damaging the ship and further raising the stakes as planned ceasefire talks in Pakistan failed to materialise. The British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said the attack happened around 7:55 am in the strait and targeted a container ship. The UKMTO said a Guard gunboat did not hail the ship before firing. It said no one was hurt and there was no environmental impact from the attack. Iran did not immediately acknowledge the assault. It comes after the US seized an Iranian container ship after shooting it this past weekend and boarded an oil tanker associated with Iran's oil trade in the Indian Ocean.

Iran 'collapsing financially', losing $500 mn daily amid blockade: Trump

Trump claimed that Tehran is 'starving for cash' and is 'losing 500 million dollars a day'

Iran displays ballistic missile launcher at rallies as talks with US falter

Iranian hard-liners rallied late Tuesday night as possible talks in Islamabad with the United States broke down, with members of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard apparently bringing a ballistic missile on a mobile launcher to one event. Footage aired by Iranian state TV showed men carrying Kalashnikov-style assault rifles riding atop a missile that resembled a Qadr ballistic missile in Iran's capital, Tehran. Such Qadr missiles can release individual bomblets known as cluster munitions, which Iran used widely when attacking Israel during the war. Trump offers combative social media post as ceasefire indefinitely extended ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Trump offered a combative social media post Tuesday night after indefinitely extending a ceasefire in the Iran war after talks in Islamabad failed to materialise. Writing on his Truth Social website, Trump contended that "Iran doesn't want the Strait of Hormuz closed, they