Page 7 - West Asia

India's exports to West Asia region evened out in June: Commerce Secy

India's exports to the West Asian region have "evened out" in June, as it has recorded a 7.29 per cent year-on-year growth to USD 5 billion, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said on Monday. The shipments to the region had declined in March due to the US-Iran conflict, but improved in April and further in May. "Our exports to the Middle East have evened out," he told reporters here. The shipments in June 2025 were USD 4.67 billion. The country's exports to the UAE rose 3.57 per cent to USD 2.7 billion, but shipments to Saudi Arabia declined by 4.42 per cent to USD 768.56 million. On the other hand, imports from the UAE and Oman have registered a positive growth. But it dipped by 29.75 per cent from Saudi Arabia. Indian exporters are using three ports (Duqm, Sohar and Salalah) in Oman to push exports to the region. The US-Iran conflict has severely impacted the movement of ships carrying cargoes in international waters, particularly through the Strait of Hormuz. India normally ex

Russian crude discounts, high freight stall India's return to West Asia oil

Record tanker freight rates, opaque Iranian supply channels and sharply higher discounts on Russian crude have kept Indian refiners reliant on Russia despite the revival of West Asian supplies

Yatra Online partners with Kanoo Travel for West Asia travel expansion

The partnership marks Yatra Online's first major international expansion, with Kanoo Travel deploying its enterprise travel and expense management platform across West Asia

Gold can fall up to 16% to $3400/oz, say analysts; should you buy the dip?

Already in the bear territory after receding 27% from its record high level, analysts foresee further decline in gold prices of up to 16% to $3400-3500 levels.

US launches fresh strikes on Iran as standoff over Hormuz escalates

The US military said it has launched another round of strikes against Iran "to degrade their ability to attack commercial ships freely transiting the Strait of Hormuz." The strikes, which took place overnight and into early Monday in Iran, came after attacks by the military on Sunday morning in response to an Iranian strike on a container ship in the critical waterway the day before. Iran responded to those strikes by attacking Gulf Arab states in an escalating cycle of violence that left the negotiations between Tehran and Washington to end the war at the edge of collapse. AP's earlier story follows below The United States attacked Iran on Sunday over an Iranian strike on a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz that set it ablaze and left a crew member missing. Iran responded with attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and Oman - the nation on the other side of the strait that Tehran has pressed to collaborate in managing shipping traffic. The US struck again later in the day

India better prepared to handle Strait of Hormuz disruption this time

India has secured crude oil and LPG supplies for the near term, limiting the immediate impact of the renewed Strait of Hormuz closure, though prices are expected to rise

India condemns attack on Cyprus-flagged vessel; 1 Indian seafarer missing

India condemned the attack on GFS Galaxy as deeply worrisome and said its embassy in Oman was coordinating with local authorities in the search operation

Donald Trump says Strait of Hormuz remains open to commercial traffic

Trump's comment came even as the US and Iran continue to exchange attacks that have raised concerns about safety

India condemns attack on commercial ship off Oman coast; 1 Indian missing

The Ministry of External Affairs said 10 of the 11 Indian nationals on board the Cyprus-flagged GFS Galaxy had been rescued, while one was missing

Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna briefly detained by Israeli settlers

Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna, a 2028 US Presidential aspirant, on Saturday said he was detained by gun-wielding Israeli settlers while on a visit to Palestine. Khanna, a Democrat from California, was visiting on Wednesday the ruins of Khirbet Zanuta, a Bedouin village in the southern West Bank that was abandoned after attacks from Israeli settlers when the incident took place. "Israeli settlers, brandishing American-made M4S, detained me and other Americans on my trip to Palestine. When the IDF (Israeli Defence Forces) arrived, they sided with the settlers and continued our detention. They made a huge mistake," Khanna said in a post on X. Khanna's experience was reported by a photographer of The New York Times, who was accompanying the Congressman. "I felt powerless in that situation, which is not an easy thing, as I have a lot of privilege in life," the New York Times quoted Khanna as saying. The report said Khanna was eventually allowed to continue his journey after cal

Iran refuses talks with US until conditions on Hormuz, oil exports met

The comments came hours after the US demanded that Iran publicly declare all channels of the Strait of Hormuz open to shipping and pledge not to attack civilian vessels transiting the waterway

Mojtaba Khamenei vows revenge for slain father, says it's demand of nation

Khamenei issued the message ​on the occasion ‌of funeral ceremonies for his ​father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, held months after he was killed ‌in the ​US-Israeli ‌airstrikes

Trump, Iranian leaders trade threats as interim peace deal falls apart

US and Iranian leaders traded further threats on Saturday as the interim deal to end the war buckles under repeated crossfire in the Middle East. President Donald Trump upped threats of further missile attacks against Iran in a string of comments on his Truth Social that came after senior US officials demanded that Iran make a public statement saying the Strait of Hormuz is open and that ships crossing the vital corridor won't be attacked. Trump also made the comments after the funeral of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei saw open calls for the US leader's killing. Later Saturday, Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei vowed that Iranians would continue to avenge the killing of his father, Ali Khamenei, who was mourned in funeral events throughout Iran this week. He said in remarks carried by state television that such revenge "is the will of our nation and must certainly be carried out." So far, Tehran has not submitted to US demands over the Strait of Hormuz, instead insisti

Should the world adopt a law to recognise ecocide as a global crime?

From the Vietnam War to the crisis in West Asia, the environment is no longer just collateral damage. It is becoming a target in its own right

Explained: Why India is expanding its strategic oil reserves after Iran war

ONGC has approved a 1.75-million-tonne expansion of India's strategic oil reserves at Mangaluru, as the government moves to strengthen energy security after the Iran war exposed supply risks

Best of BS Opinion: Nato, remote work and economic resilience

Today's opinions examine the Nato summit, women's cash transfer schemes, global market risks after the Iran conflict, remote work and Mary Beard's exploration of the classics.

Crude oil prices will be the key driver of equities for now: Nilesh Shah

The oil market, Shah of Kotak AMC said, is signalling that supplies could get constrained again, which may lead to another increase in prices. All this will impact how equity markets play out.

Ankara's ambiguous outcomes: Trump overwhelms Nato's best intentions

The NATO summit reaffirmed collective defence and support for Ukraine, but Donald Trump's remarks on Spain, Greenland and Iran exposed deep alliance tensions

Outbound M&A story intact despite West Asia risks: HSBC's Ajay Sharma

Indian companies' overseas expansion will continue despite geopolitical uncertainty, driven by supply chain diversification, FTAs, AI-led growth and relatively attractive overseas valuations, HSBC's A

Iran hits US military targets in Gulf, lays slain leader to rest

Iran struck US military targets in Gulf states after fresh American airstrikes, while Tehran pursued diplomacy with Oman and Türkiye to prevent wider regional escalation