Page 3 - Latest Updates on West Asia Conflict

Missile alerts ring in Bahrain, Qatar as Iran responds to fresh US strikes

Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar sounded missile alert sirens early Thursday morning warning of an Iranian attack after the United States launched a new round of airstrikes targeting Iran. There was no immediate word of damage in the three Gulf Arab countries. Kuwait's military said it was actively intercepting incoming drones and missiles. On Wednesday, Iran launched attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait over an earlier round of U.S. airstrikes against Iran. The latest US strikes began Wednesday, hours after President Donald Trump said that recent Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz signalled the end of the fragile ceasefire. The action raised fears that the war in Iran could reignite, coming just a day after the US military hit a variety of military sites and port facilities following Iran's targeting of several merchant vessels off the coast of Oman. Military officials said in a social media post Wednesday that the latest strikes were intended to "further degrade" Iran's ability

Best of BS Opinion: India's ethanol blending plans need better design

Today's opinions examine India's ethanol-blending policy, urban employment trends, MGNREGA reforms, energy security after the Strait of Hormuz disruptions, and Project Cheetah

Call for revenge gets louder at Iran's slain leader Khamenei's funeral

Iran began a dayslong funeral Saturday for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, months after an airstrike killed him at the start of the war. He was 86. Authorities unveiled the casket containing Khamenei's body in a glass case at the Grand Mosalla in Tehran, Iran's capital. Mourners wept at the sight, with some chanting: "Our word is one! Revenge! Revenge!" Some carried banners and flags, while billboards across the city bore Khamenei's image. Crowds of men rhythmically beat their chests in mourning, a common practice at Shiite funerals. "I am here to say goodbye to my beloved leader Ali Khamenei," said a weeping Hananeh Mousavi, 27, who attended the funeral alongside her mother. "I never expected to see such a day. I wish I had died before this tragedy." Coffins sat on display at Grand Mosalla --------------------------------------------- An outdoor stage set up at the Grand Mosalla resembled the stage where Khamenei once gave his speeches at a husseiniyah at his com

Indian envoy to China rejects comparison with Pak on West Asia mediation

Dismissing any comparison between India and Pakistan on mediating in the West Asia conflict, India's envoy to China Vikram Doraiswami on Saturday said countries should decide for themselves whether doing so serves their interests. "I think the comparison, if I might be a little direct, with Pakistan, is a little... a little unfair. I think the economy in the two countries will tell you a lot," he said, responding to a question by a Chinese journalist about India's role in global leadership and Islamabad's attempts to mediate in the Iran-US conflict Doriaswami was speaking at the World Peace Forum here organised by China Tsinghua University. "We should look at countries according to what they are and what they are actually doing in the larger global system, " he said, adding that "India's integration with the globe is at a level not matched by most countries". "This includes the idea of economic integration with European countries, with Asian countries, our willingness to contribute

Netanyahu, Trump agree to meet in US 'soon' during phone call: Israeli PMO

The development comes at a time when Trump has been publicly critical of Netanyahu in recent weeks after Israel's war with Hezbollah in Lebanon threatened peace talks with Iran

US must 'accept existing realities' on trade: Iranian Parliament Speaker

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf criticised US President Donald Trump over his remarks on Iran's economy and food needs, accusing him of projecting America's own domestic challenges

'Fake news': Israel rejects report on alleged threat to Iranian negotiators

According to the NYT, cited by the Times of Israel, US officials allegedly warned Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Bagher Ghalibaf of possible Israeli assassination attempts

US officials believed Israel plotted to kill Iran's Araghchi, negotiators

Any Israeli attempt to kill Abbas Araghchi, the foreign minister, or Mohammad Ghalibaf, the Parliament speaker, would have derailed peace talks, American officials feared

Oil prices fall as investors await outcome of US-Iran talks in Doha

Brent August crude futures were down 0.9 per cent, or 64 cents, at $72.51 a ‌barrel as of 0356; US West Texas Intermediate for August fell 0.6 per cent, or 39 cents, to $70.36 a barrel

One-third of global carbon emissions growth in 2025 came from US: Report

An Energy Institute report found that higher natural gas prices prompted US power producers to increase coal use, driving a significant share of global emissions growth

Iran ratchets up talk of controlling Hormuz ahead of fresh US negotiations

Deputy Foreign Minister Gharibabadi said Tehran wants to oversee shipping traffic through the waterway, warning that Iran could move ahead with its own plans if no agreement is reached with Oman

China emerges as a winner from Hormuz crisis, gains manufacturing edge

A report examines how the war in Iran has weighed on Asian economies, but left China in a more advantageous position

US envoy heads to Doha as Iran pledges to honour commitments if US does

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran would fulfil its commitments if Washington does the same, as US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff travelled to Doha for talks

Iran risks peace talks with US to maintain leverage over Strait of Hormuz

Iran sees its control over the Strait of Hormuz as critical leverage in peace talks with the United States; it seems willing to risk the cease-fire to maintain that power

Iran attacks Bahrain, Kuwait following US strikes, threatens to halt talks

Bahrain and Kuwait said on Sunday that Iran targeted their nations with drone and missile fire overnight after new US airstrikes hit Iran. The new crossfire in the Persian Gulf further strains the initial deal that Iran and the United States struck in an effort to find a permanent end to the war. Both Bahrain and Kuwait denounced the Iranian attacks, though it wasn't clear what, if anything, had been hit. The US military's Central Command said it struck Iranian military "surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defence sites, drone storage facilities and minelayer capabilities" following an attack on a ship at sea early Saturday morning. That ship, the Panamanian-flagged tanker Kiku, was carrying crude oil for the state-run energy company of Qatar, a key mediator between Iran and the US.

Markets ahead: West Asia tensions, crude prices key factors to watch out

Developments on the geopolitical front, with the latest military exchanges involving the US and Iran, their impact on crude oil prices and domestic macroeconomic data announcements would dictate sentiments in the stock market this week, analysts said. Besides, trading patterns of foreign investors and progress of the southwest monsoon would also remain the key areas of focus for investors, they added. "Market participants will closely monitor Industrial Production (IIP) data, the final HSBC Manufacturing, Services and Composite PMI readings, and the foreign exchange reserves data for fresh insights into the health of the domestic economy," Ajit Mishra, SVP, Research, Religare Broking Ltd, said. Globally, the trajectory of crude oil prices and geopolitical developments in West Asia will remain key drivers of market sentiment, he said. The monthly auto sales numbers on July 1 will also be tracked by investors closely. "The week ahead is likely to be shaped by developments on the ..

US says it struck 10 Iran targets as ceasefire strained by new attacks

The US military said Saturday it had struck 10 targets in Iran at President Donald Trump's direction, continuing a string of attacks that have shaken the war's uneasy ceasefire. US Central Command, in a post to social media, said that US military aircraft targeted Iranian military "surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defense sites, drone storage facilities, and minelayer capabilities" following an attack on a merchant vessel early on Saturday morning. It later specified the strikes involved 10 Iranian military targets at multiple locations in and near the Strait of Hormuz. The ongoing strikes in the Persian Gulf show the danger of the Iran war again spinning out of control, even after Iran and the US reached an interim deal to try and agree on a final accord to end the conflict. In a social media post, Trump said the US had "struck Iranian missile and drone storage locations, and coastal radar sites, for violating the Cease Fire Agreement, AGAIN!" He warned of a

Israel, Lebanon reach framework deal to end conflict, advance peace talks

Israel will maintain a "security zone" along the boundaries of the yellow line, which marks a seized territory that stretches some 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) into Lebanon from the Israeli border

Israel, Lebanon sign framework deal with US in 'first step' toward peace

Secretary of State Marco Rubio along with Israel and Lebanon's ambassadors announced a framework agreement Friday that was described as a first step toward peace following months of conflict between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. The officials did not share details on the agreement that was signed by Yechiel Leiter, the Israeli ambassador to the United States, and Nada Hamadeh, ambassador of Lebanon to the United States.