Page 25 - Latest Updates on West Asia Conflict

840K Indians returned from Gulf since Feb 28, airspace curbs remain: MEA

Mahajan said the government continues to closely monitor the evolving situation across the Gulf and West Asia, with a dedicated mechanism in place for rapid coordination

Direct talks with Israel to start next Tuesday, says Lebanese president

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has said that direct talks with Israel will start next Tuesday. The statement from Aoun's office comes after Lebanon and Israel's ambassadors to the US held a call with Washington's ambassador to Lebanon to discuss the terms of the negotiations, slated for next Tuesday in Washington, with the US State Department mediating. Beirut is keen to hold direct talks to end the ongoing war between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group, but under a ceasefire or truce similar to that of Washington's talks with Iran. Israel on Thursday announced that it authorised direct talks after Lebanon's request, but did not immediately issue a statement following the call. Hezbollah did not immediately comment on the development, though it has opposed direct talks with Israel. During the past 40 days of war, more than 1,900 people in Lebanon have been killed in Israeli strikes and more that 1 million others have been displaced, according to government figures.

Vance warns Iran not to 'play' US; Iranian delegation reaches Pak for talks

US Vice President J D Vance on Friday warned Iran not to "play" the US as he headed overseas for negotiations aimed at ending the war. President Donald Trump has tasked the member of his inner circle who has seemed to be the most reluctant defender of the six-week-old conflict with Iran to now find a resolution and stave off the US president's astonishing threat to wipe out its "whole civilisation". Vance, who has long been skeptical of foreign military interventions and outspoken about the prospect of sending troops into open-ended conflicts, set off Friday to lead mediated talks with Iran in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad. "If the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we're certainly willing to extend the open hand," Vance told reporters before boarding Air Force Two to make his way to the talks in Pakistan. But he added, "If they're gonna try and play us, then they're gonna find that the negotiating team is not that receptive." Vance also said that Trump "gave us

Trump expresses confidence ahead of talks, confident of Hormuz reopening

President Donald Trump has expressed confidence ahead of talks between the United States and Iran on a resolution to the conflict, expected to start Saturday in Islamabad, with Vice President J D Vance leading the US delegation. "I wished him luck. He's got a big thing," Trump said in his parting message to Vance before he began his journey to lead the president's delegation for the critical talks. "We'll find out what's going on. They're militarily defeated." Trump, who spoke to reporters before boarding Air Force One to head to a Friday evening fundraiser in Charlottesville, Virginia, also reiterated his confidence that the Strait of Hormuz will soon be opened up. "And now we're going to open up the Gulf with or without them," Trump said, referring to the Iranians, who have effectively shuttered the critical waterway. "But that'll be open," he said.

US - Iran ceasefire & markets: How brokerages interpret the developments

Here's how leading brokerages have interpreted the recent developments in West Asia and their likely impact on stock markets and crude oil prices.

CONFLICT ZONE: US-Israel-Iran

HIGH-TECH BATTLEFIELD

Asian stocks rally, set for best week since 2022 ahead of US-Iran talks

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan added 0.9 per cent to put it up 7.3 per cent for the week, the most since November 2022

How the West Asia conflict could leave Wall Street facing lasting risks

Even after a US-Iran ceasefire, investors warn global markets may not stabilise quickly, with elevated oil prices, rising bond yields and shaken confidence pointing to lasting financial risks

The hyperwar is here

How predictive AI is changing outcomes in conflict

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 .

Ukrainian forces shot Iranian drones in Gulf nations during war: Zelenskyy

Ukrainian military personnel shot down Iranian-designed Shahed drones in multiple Middle Eastern countries during the Iran war, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, describing the operations as part of a broader effort to help partners counter the same weapons used by Russia in Ukraine. Zelenskyy made his first public acknowledgment of the operations Wednesday in remarks to reporters that were embargoed until Friday. Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces took part in active operations abroad using domestically produced, battle-tested interceptor drones.

Chris Wood thinks Karachi-listed stocks can be a good trading bet; here's why

Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE 100)-listed stocks can be a good trading bet, according to Christopher Wood, global head of equity strategy at Jefferies, especially around the IMF bailout periods.

Trump's Iran exit plan fails to bridge Republican rifts exposed by war

President Donald Trump's search for an off-ramp from the war with Iran is getting bumpy inside his Republican Party. In the decade since Trump's "America First" movement rose to power by rejecting military intervention, his coalition has rarely been tested the way it is now. Trump's exit efforts - first through threats of annihilation, then with a ceasefire that is proving precarious - are doing little to paper over tensions that have festered since the war began six weeks ago. Laura Loomer, a conservative activist close to the president and often one of his top boosters, rejected the notion of brokering a deal with Iran. In an interview, she knocked Vice President JD Vance for being "in charge" of talks expected to start Saturday in Pakistan, as he takes on a larger diplomatic role ahead of a potential 2028 White House run. "I support President Trump," Loomer said in an interview. "I just don't believe in negotiating with Islamic terrorists." Vance's office did not respond to a ..

Rupee rises to 92.41 against dollar, faces risks from West Asia tensions

The rupee appreciated 10 paise to 92.41 against the US dollar in early trade on Friday, even as the USD/INR pair faces risks from rising global tensions, especially the US-Iran conflict. Forex traders said the rupee is likely to see high volatility intra-day as the deadline for RBI's instructions to banks to curb their overnight positions to USD 100 million closes today. At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 92.58 against the US dollar, then gained ground to touch 92.41 against the US dollar in initial trade, registering a gain of 10 paise over its previous close. On Thursday, the rupee settled with a marginal gain of 3 paise at 92.51 against the US dollar. "An estimated 8085 per cent of these positions have already been unwound, which means the bulk of this supportive flow is now behind us. In simple terms, the cushion that held the rupee steady is beginning to thin, and this is where the story starts to shift," CR Forex Advisors MD Amit Pabari said. Pabar

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

Pilots fear retribution over refusing to fly in West Asia: Aviators' group

Pilots from Lebanon to India have voiced 'widespread' concerns they could face sanctions if ​they do not fly in often unpredictable conditions where airspace can close with little notice

Oil prices rise following strikes on Saudi Arabia's energy infrastructure

Brent crude futures gained 83 cents, or 0.87 per cent, ‌to $96.75 a barrel as of 0100 GMT

West Asia war: Iran warns Israel on Lebanon attacks; Trump targets Hormuz

The fragile US-Iran ceasefire faces new pressure as Iran warns Israel over Hezbollah strikes in Lebanon, while Donald Trump says Tehran is doing a 'very poor job' of allowing oil through Hormuz

China uses West Asia conflict to advance yuan's global payments debut

Beijing challenges US financial dominance across currency, messaging and settlement systems; even if Iran sanctions ease and dollar trust recovers, the yuan push will persist for future crises