Page 4 - West Asia

21 hours in Pakistan: How Vance tried and failed to end a war he opposed

JD Vance leaves Pakistan without a deal as US-Iran talks collapse, deepening uncertainty over ceasefire and escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz

Donald Trump vows to block Hormuz after US-Iran peace talks fail

Vance said Iran had chosen not to accept American terms, including not to build nuclear weapons

Iran war prompted India to change crude formula to fix 3-year inaccuracy

Old formula did not represent the price paid by Indian refiners

West Asia war: OMCs face renewed pressure as US-Iran peace talks collapse

Indian vessel carrying nearly 20,400 tonnes of LPG crossed Hormuz on April 11

What next after JD Vance leaves Islamabad without a peace deal with Iran?

The lack of a breakthrough after 21 hours of negotiations leaves the Trump administration facing several unpalatable options

The question of energy in times of West Asia war and global disruption

War-driven oil disruptions are reshaping global energy markets, accelerating the shift to renewables while exposing deep vulnerabilities in energy security worldwide

Consumer durables' Q4 results may show impact of war, March rainfall

Rising input costs and unseasonal March rains hurt consumer durables demand in Q4FY26, with margin pressures expected to persist despite modest growth outlook

Oil markets scramble for supplies as West Asia shortfall drives prices

Traders said the panicky moves across the world's key physical oil markets demonstrated the scale of the shortfall that's due to be felt as loss of supplies from the West Asia leaves a growing gap

India boosts 5-kg LPG supply, accelerates PNG rollout amid West Asia crisis

India has ramped up supply of smaller 5-kg LPG cylinders and accelerated the rollout of piped natural gas (PNG) connections as it manages fuel availability amid disruptions triggered by the West Asia conflict. More than 13 lakh 5-kg free trade LPG cylinders have been sold since March 23, with daily sales rising above 100,000 units, as authorities expand access for migrant workers and low-income consumers, according to an official statement. At the same time, over 424,000 new PNG connections have been activated since March, with more than 30,000 consumers surrendering LPG connections as part of the transition. The six-week long war in West Asia has disrupted global energy supply. India relied on import of half of its crude oil, 40 per cent of its gas and 85-90 per cent of LPG from the region was also impacted. While it has managed to make up for the shortfall in crude oil by sourcing from other regions, LPG supplies have been impacted. The government has prioritised LPG supply to .

West Asia crisis: Ludhiana handtool export units face labour, gas shortages

The West Asia crisis is affecting export-oriented manufacturing units here, with handtool companies facing challenges such as labour shortages, rising input costs and inadequate gas supply, impacting production and potentially weighing on the country's exports. The other difficulties they are facing include high interest rates, container availability, increase in shipping and air freights and high insurance cost. The units are however hopeful that the ceasefire announced between the US and Iran for 15 days will lead to an end to the conflict, helping ease these challenges. The joint attack launched by the US and Israel on Iran on February 28 severely disrupted the country's exports to West Asia, pushed up shipping freight, air transport prices and insurance costs. Disruptions in the movement of oil and gas from Middle East countries have also led to an increase in the prices of raw materials such as steel, plastic and rubber. "Units in Punjab are facing a labour shortage. Workers

Govt acted swiftly, but more support needed to cushion war impact

Strait of Hormuz disruption strains India's trade, prompting swift policy action, but experts call for a targeted support package to ease logistics and cost pressures

Iran's chief negotiator Ghalibaf blames US for failure to reach deal

Iran's chief negotiator to the Islamabad talks has blamed the United States for failing to reach a deal. In a series of posts on X, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said the Iranian delegation provided "forward-looking initiatives" during the 21-hour talks, but the Americans could not gain Iran's trust. He said now is the time for the US "to decide whether it can gain our trust or not." He didn't elaborate. But Iranian state media reported earlier that major points of disagreement included Iran's nuclear program and transit through the Strait of Hormuz.

Inconclusive US-Iran talks, oil prices to steer markets this week: Analysts

The talks between Iran and the US in Pakistan, which ended without a deal, would weigh heavily on investors' sentiment when markets open for trading on Monday, analysts said. Besides developments related to West Asia, crude oil prices would also dictate market trends in a holiday-shortened week ahead, they said. Stock markets will remain closed on Tuesday for Baba Saheb Ambedkar Jayanti. The talks between Iran and the US in Pakistan have ended without a deal due to "excessive demands" made by the American side, a top Iranian official said on Sunday. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei, however, emphasised that "diplomacy never ends". US Vice President JD Vance, who led the American delegation, said the talks failed to reach a peace deal, citing Tehran not forgoing its nuclear programme as one of the key sticking points. He said the American side presented its "final and best offer" to the Iranian side, but it did not accept it. Baqaei, however, said the two side

Iran war, geopolitical upheaval to top agenda at naval commanders' meet

Top commanders of the Indian Navy will deliberate on implications of the West Asia crisis in the context of safeguarding India's energy security during a three-day conclave beginning Tuesday. The commanders will also comprehensively review the Navy's operational posture to protect national maritime interests and capability development in line with national security objectives. The biannual naval commanders conference will be held in New Delhi from April 14 to 16. "This edition holds significant importance in light of swift naval deployments to safeguard India's energy security, amidst ongoing conflict in West Asia with convergence of Multi-National Forces in the Indian Ocean Region," the Navy said on Sunday. However, it did not elaborate on the role it has in safeguarding India's energy security given disruptions in the transit of ships through the Strait of Hormuz. For last several years, the Indian Navy has been escorting Indian-flagged merchant vessels, specifically those carry

Saudi Arabia restores East-West pipeline capacity to 7 mn barrels per day

Output from Saudi Aramco's offshore Manifa oil production facility was also restored, the energy ministry said Sunday, though work continues at the Khurais onshore complex

'Diplomacy never ends': Iran's spokesperson hints there's room for talks

Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson said Iran should not have expected from the start that they could reach an agreement in a single session

Iran-US talks in Islamabad likely held via indirect, direct channels

The Iran-US peace talks were conducted first indirectly through Pakistan and later through direct negotiations between the two sides, official sources said on Sunday. Pakistan remained involved at every stage of the process, with the talks beginning with separate meetings of the US and Iranian delegations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday. This was followed by an exchange of messages between the two sides through Pakistani interlocutors, the sources said. The Iranian delegation was led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqir Galibaf, while the US team was headed by Vice President JD Vance. According to sources, the negotiations then moved to direct talks between the visiting delegations, which continued for about two-and-a-half hours in the presence of Pakistani officials. In the next phase, a one-hour break was taken and technical aspects of the demands presented by the two sides were discussed at the expert level. The exchange of messages on technical aspects continued

Trump shares article on possible US naval blockade on Iran after talks fail

The article posted by outlet Just the News cited experts who said that Trump could "out-blockade" Iran's hold over the strait of Hormuz and recalled US military ops in Venezuela

Luxury carmakers hope West Asia ceasefire will lift consumer sentiments

The ceasefire in West Asia is expected to help lift market sentiments in India, making luxury car customers who held back purchases to come back to showrooms to take deliveries, according to top officials of Mercedes-Benz, BMW Group and Audi in the country. Having resorted to stocking up of parts and kits, the luxury carmakers hope that the pressure on supply chain will be eased while looking forward to a return to normalcy at the earliest. "The ceasefire has come at the right time, and it is very important from a luxury buyer viewpoint because lot of our customers are dependent on how things are panning out in international market," BMW Group India President and CEO Hardeep Singh Brar told PTI. It is very important that this issue is put to rest, he said, adding,"If this issue is over, we expect a lot of customers who held back their purchases in quarter one to come back and go for higher purchases." Expressing similar views, Mercedes-Benz India Managing Director & CEO Santosh ...

Iran war diverts US attention from Asia ahead of Trump-Xi summit

In 2011, President Barack Obama declared it was time for America to leave behind the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and "pivot" to Asia to counter the rise of China. Fifteen years later, the US finds itself still at war in the Middle East and has pulled military assets from the Asia-Pacific as it aims to eliminate the threat posed by Iran's nuclear and missile programs. The demands of the Iran war also caused President Donald Trump to delay by several weeks his highly anticipated trip to China, deepening worries that the US is once again getting distracted at the cost of its strategic interests in Asia, where Beijing seeks to unseat the US as the regional leader. Those skeptical of the US involvement in the Middle East say the war is preventing Trump from adequately preparing for his summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping next month, when economic interests are on the line, and they warn that a failure to focus on Asia and maintain strong deterrence could lead to greater instability, if