Page 3 - West Asia And The Gulf

Kuwait accuses Iran of sending armed Guard team to attack island in nation

Kuwait on Tuesday accused Iran of sending an armed Revolutionary Guard team to attack an island in the Middle East nation. Iran didn't immediately acknowledge the allegation by Kuwait, which came under repeated attack by Iran in the war. Kuwait said that a team of six armed members of the Guard tried to infiltrate Bubiyan Island in the northwest corner of the Persian Gulf near Iraq and Iran. It accused the team of planning to carry out "hostile acts." Kuwait said that it detained four of the men, while two escaped. Kuwait, which said one of its security officials had been wounded in the attack.

West Asia crisis set to dominate BRICS foreign ministers' meeting this week

The escalating crisis in West Asia and its impact on the global energy supply chain are expected to dominate deliberations at a two-day meeting of BRICS foreign ministers to be hosted by India this week. While Tehran has informed New Delhi that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is set to attend the May 14-15 conclave, sources suggest his plans could change if the situation in the region changes dramatically. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will skip the meeting as his presence is required in Beijing for US President Donald Trump's three-day state visit, which coincides with the BRICS gathering. Chinese Ambassador to India Xi Feihong will attend the meeting on Wang's behalf, Beijing announced on Tuesday. Foreign ministers of several BRICS member states including Russia's Sergey Lavrov have already confirmed their participation, the sources said. The BRICS foreign ministers will also call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. India, as the chair of the BRICS, is hosting the conclave of t

West Asia crisis to hit Indian GCC sector: Nasscom president Rajesh Nambiar

Nasscom president Rajesh Nambiar warned that a prolonged West Asia crisis could delay global firms' GCC investment decisions in India

Donald Trump calls Iran proposal 'stupid' amid West Asia conflict

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump reiterated that Iran would not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon

West Asia conflict highlights need for India to build natural gas reserves

Rising import dependence and supply disruptions amid West Asia tensions underscore the urgency for India to build strategic natural gas reserves and strengthen LNG storage capacity

Iran ceasefire tested as cargo ship catches fire, Kuwait says drone attack

The shaky ceasefire in the Iran war was tested again on Sunday when a cargo ship caught fire after being hit by an unknown projectile off Qatar's coast, and Kuwait's military reported an attack by drones, without specifying where they came from. The attacks were the latest threats to a month-old ceasefire, which the Trump administration says remains in effect. It has faced difficulties, with Iran restricting traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway key to the global flow of oil, and the US imposing a blockade of Iranian ports. Washington has been awaiting Iran's response to a new proposal for a deal to end the war, reopen the strait to shipping and roll back Iran's nuclear programme. One of the main sticking points in the negotiations is the fate of Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium. The UN nuclear agency says Iran has more than 440 kg (970 pounds) of uranium that is enriched up to 60% purity, a short, technical step from weapons-grade levels. In an ...

Qatar LNG tanker makes fresh attempt to transit through Hormuz Strait

The ship is navigating the Tehran-approved northern route near Qeshm and Larak islands, the tracking data show

Global oil stockpiles deplete at record pace due to Iran war disruptions

The sharp depletion will also mean the market stays vulnerable for longer to future disruptions even after the conflict ends

UK moves warship to West Asia for potential Strait of Hormuz mission

France recently announced it had moved its Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier to the Red Sea in a move aimed at signaling that the coalition stood ready to secure the strait

Iran creates new govt agency to control shipping in Strait of Hormuz

Iran has created a government agency to vet and tax vessels seeking passage through the crucial Strait of Hormuz, a shipping data company has reported, as Tehran said it was reviewing the latest US proposals for ending the war. The Iranian effort to formalise control over the channel raised new concerns about international shipping, with hundreds of commercial ships bottled up in the Persian Gulf and unable to reach the open sea. Still, hope that the two-month conflict could soon be over buoyed international markets. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei on Thursday said the Islamic Republic was reviewing messages from Pakistan, which is mediating peace negotiations, but Iran "as not yet reached a conclusion, and no response has been given to the US side", Iranian state TV reported. Late in the day, Iranian state media said the country's armed forces exchanged fire with "the enemy" on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. It is the largest Iranian island in the Persia

Should India and the Gulf elevate their relationship to a strategic one?

Against a backdrop of broken alliances and misaligned interests, India's relationship with West Asia is fundamentally different