Middle East

Gold rises 0.6% as dollar eases, oil dips amid hopes of de-escalation

The US dollar edged 0.2 per cent lower, making greenback-priced gold slightly cheaper for holders of other currencies

Bahrain's Alba assesses damage after Iranian strikes on aluminium plants

Two employees at Aluminium Bahrain were hurt in Saturday's attack, the state-controlled company said, while regional peer Emirates Global Aluminium's site sustained significant damage

Trump to visit China in May after rescheduling trip due to Iran war

US President Donald Trump will travel to China on May 14 and 15 for a rescheduled summit with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, the White House announced on Wednesday. Trump, who was earlier scheduled to travel to Beijing by the end of this month, postponed his trip due to the war in Iran. Announcing Trump's "long-awaited" trip to China, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the US president and First Lady Melania will also host President Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, for a reciprocal visit to Washington DC at a later date this year. Responding to a question if the two leaders spoke about the conclusion of the war as a precondition to reschedule this meeting, she answered there was no discussion about the rescheduling of the meeting between the president and Xi. "President Xi understood that it's very important for the president to be here throughout the region right now. He understood, obviously, the request to postpone and accept it, which is why we have a meeting,"

Iran names ex-IRGC commander as top security official after Larijani death

Iran named a former Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander as the new secretary of the country's Supreme National Security Council on Tuesday, replacing Ali Larijani, who was killed in an airstrike. Iranian state television identified the new secretary as Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr. Zolghadr reached the rank of brigadier general in the Guard. He had been serving as the secretary of Iran's Expediency Council.

Jaishankar speaks with Marco Rubio on West Asia conflict, energy concerns

The Jaishankar-Rubio phone conversation came hours after US President Donald Trump extended Washington's deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by five days

Iranian oil purchases hinge on feasibility, payment route remains unclear

India will consider resuming buying Iranian oil based on techno-commercial feasibility, a senior government official said after Washington temporarily removed sanctions to ease pressure on prices that followed the US-Israeli war on Iran. Historically, India was a major buyer of Iranian crude, importing significant volumes of Iranian Light and Heavy grades due to strong refinery compatibility and favourable commercial terms. Following sanctions tightening in 2018, imports ceased from May 2019, with volumes replaced by Middle Eastern, US and other grades. At peak, Iranian crude accounted for 11.5 per cent of India's total imports. At a news briefing on developments in West Asia, Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, said techno-commercial feasibility will drive the decision on resuming buying Iranian crude. "It is based on techno-commercial feasibility," she said. Over the weekend, the US waived sanctions on the purchase of Iranian oil at sea fo

Centre asks states to curb coal profiteering amid West Asia crisis

The Centre has directed states to prevent small coal retailers from profiteering from the West Asia crisis, as global energy disruptions threaten to ripple into domestic fuel markets. Talking with reporters on the sidelines of an event here, Coal and Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy said, "Our secretary (coal) has talked to Chief Secretaries of all states. I have written letters to Chief Ministers yesterday. There is no coal shortage and there is no scope for an increase in domestic coal prices". The minister further said that if coal prices increase, it is the responsibility of the state governments to take action. "We have asked states to keep an eye on coal prices and not let the retailers of coal profit from the ongoing crisis.. The Prime Minister has clearly instructed that coal prices should not increase, and therefore the government has taken proactive measures. "No decision has been taken on increasing coal prices. Coal prices should not increase," the minister explained. Th

Oil prices drop, dollar weakens: Top 5 developments after Trump's big move

Since Trump's claim of "productive" talks, global markets and geopolitical signals have shifted sharply

Iran says its Natanz nuclear facility has been hit in an airstrike

Iran's Natanz nuclear facility was hit Saturday in an airstrike, the official Iranian news agency Mizan reported. There was no radiation leakage, it said. Natanz, Iran's main enrichment site, was hit in the first week of the war and several buildings appeared damaged, according to satellite images. The United Nations' nuclear watchdog said that "no radiological consequence" was expected from that earlier strike. The nuclear facility, located nearly 220 kilometers (135 miles) southeast of Tehran, had been targeted by Israeli airstrikes in the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June 2025, and by the United States.

Iranian Navy guided Indian LPG tanker through Strait of Hormuz: Report

During the crossing, the officer's ship was in contact with the Iranian navy by radio, he said

Safety of Indians in UAE is 'priority' amid West Asia crisis: Envoy

The UAE has assured India that the safety of Indians living in the Gulf country is its "priority", stressing that they are protected and treated like family, especially amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia which has seen the emirate facing attacks from Iran. UAE Ambassador to India Abdulnasser Alshaali also hailed India's move to co-sponsor a UN resolution that condemned Iran's attacks against Gulf countries, saying it was a statement of principle from a country that the UAE considers a strategic partner and friend, at a moment when it mattered most. The UAE will remember that India was among those "who stood with us first", he said. "The safety of Indian nationals in the UAE is a priority. They are protected and are treated as family, including the 200 nationalities living in the country in peace and harmony," Alshaali told PTI Videos. He said that UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited five injured civilians in the hospital: two Emiratis, one Indian, one Sudane

What Iran's failed-to-hit strike on Diego Garcia base in Indian Ocean means

While there were no reports of damage or casualties, the significance of the episode lay less in the outcome and more in what it demonstrated

Twenty-two countries urge Iran to halt attacks, reopen Strait of Hormuz

Twenty-two countries on Saturday urged Iran to cease attacks and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Countries including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, the UK, Germany, France, Japan, South Korea and Australia have condemned Iran's attacks on commercial vessels as well as oil and gas facilities in the region. "The effects of Iran's actions will be felt by people in all parts of the world, especially the most vulnerable," they said in a joint statement Saturday.

India confident of meeting power demand despite West Asia crisis

India has produced 1 billion metric tons of coal for a second successive year, ‌the ​coal ministry said on ​Saturday, which could be enough to meet summer power demand

Modi speaks to Macron, leaders of Qatar, Oman, Jordan on West Asia conflict

The thrust of the conversations, per his social media posts, was to find a way to restore stability to the region and to continue coordination in the pursuit of de-escalation and peace

Trump says US will not deploy troops to West Asia amid Iran conflict

Trump spoke at the White House during an Oval Office meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi

Iranian missile hits Israeli oil refinery in Haifa, minor damages reported

Energy Minister Eli Cohen said power was briefly disrupted, with electricity restored to most of those who were affected

Urea plants gets additional gas in spot auction; to operate at 80% capacity

Fertiliser companies have purchased additional natural gas from the spot market to ramp up urea production at their plants, which are operating well below capacity due to a fuel shortage amid the West Asia crisis, a senior government official said on Thursday. After the procurement of additional natural gas, urea plants are expected to operate at 78-80 per cent capacity compared to 62 per cent currently. India produced 306.67 lakh tonnes of urea in 2024-25 and imported 56.47 lakh tonnes of the nutrient to meet the domestic demand. The country has imported 98 lakh tonnes of urea in the first eleven months of this fiscal. Fertiliser plants in the country require about 52 million metric standard cubic metres per day (MMSCMD) of natural gas to operate at full capacity, but were receiving only around 32 MMSCMD, meeting barely 62 per cent of their requirement, resulting in a significant shortfall in urea output, the official told PTI. To address this, a spot auction was conducted by the

Strike on Iran South Pars gas field coordinated with US: Israeli officials

Trump said in a social media post that Washington "knew nothing about this particular attack" and that Israel would not attack the gas field further unless Iran again attacked Qatar

US will launch 'largest strike package yet' against Iran today: Hegseth

The US defence secretary reiterated that only President Donald Trump would decide when the war would end, adding that Iran's naval and missile manufacturing capabilities had been severely eroded