West Asia conflict

April 27, 2026 8:36 PM

West Asia tensions persist as Iran-US talks stall, oil prices rise amid Strait of Hormuz concerns

Diplomatic efforts to stabilise the situation in West Asia are showing limited progress, with fresh political and military signals emerging across multiple fronts. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has arrived in Russia for talks with senior officials, including President Vladimir Putin, blaming what he called the “excessive demands of the United States” for the collapse of recent negotiations. At the same time, US President Donald Trump indicated that communication channels remain op...

April 27, 2026 7:03 PM

All Indian seafarers safe as govt assures robust fuel, fertiliser supply amid West Asia tensions

Amid evolving tensions in West Asia, the Government on Monday said all Indian seafarers in the region remain safe with no incidents involving Indian-flagged vessels reported in the past 24 hours, even as it reassured citizens about stable supplies of fuel, fertilisers and essential commodities across the country. At an inter-ministerial briefing held in New Delhi, officials from key ministries outlined coordinated efforts to ensure domestic stability while closely monitoring developments in the...

April 24, 2026 1:18 PM

Rabia-Yarubiyah crossing reopens as Israel-Lebanon ceasefire extended amid regional tensions

The United States has announced a three week extension of the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, following high level talks in Washington aimed at preventing the fragile truce from collapsing. President Donald Trump said there is a “very good chance for peace,” though no timeline was offered for a broader agreement. United Nations officials have cautioned that the situation remains unstable, noting the ceasefire is holding but “not one hundred percent” secure. In Iran, authorities re...

April 24, 2026 12:05 PM

Indian Embassy in Tehran advises Indians to avoid travel to Iran

The Embassy of India in Tehran has issued a fresh advisory urging Indian citizens to avoid travelling to Iran amid ongoing regional tensions and uncertainty surrounding flight operations. In a post on X, the Embassy said Indian nationals are “strongly advised not to travel to Iran, whether by air or land,” citing continued airspace restrictions and operational challenges affecting international flights to and from the country. The advisory also reiterated that Indian citizens currently in ...

April 23, 2026 1:08 PM

Iran tightens control of Hormuz after US calls off renewed attacks

Iran seized two ships in the Strait of Hormuz as it tightened its grip on the strategic waterway after U.S. President Donald Trump announced he was indefinitely calling off attacks, with no sign of peace talks restarting. The status of a two-week-old ceasefire, due to expire earlier this week, remained unclear. In a sharp about-face hours after threatening renewed violence, Trump made what appeared to be a unilateral announcement on Tuesday that the U.S. would extend a ceasefire until it had di...

April 23, 2026 9:50 AM

US wants to see unified response from Iran, White House says

President Donald Trump wants to see a "unified" response from Iran's leadership to U.S. proposals to end hostilities, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday. Leavitt told reporters that Trump had not set a deadline for an end to the ceasefire extension he announced on Tuesday. Earlier, Leavitt said in an interview with Fox News' "The Story with Martha MacCallum" that Iran must agree to turn over its enriched uranium to the United States as part of negotiations to end th...

April 23, 2026 9:48 AM

Trump says eight Iranian women won’t be executed, Iran disputes entire account

President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Iran had agreed not to execute eight women protesters in a sign of respect for him, while officials in Tehran denied the executions had been planned and accused the U.S. president of spreading falsehoods. "Very good news," Trump said in a social media post a day after granting a unilateral ceasefire in the war started by the U.S. and Israel on February 28. Trump said four of the eight women would be released immediately and four would be sentenced ...

April 23, 2026 9:39 AM

Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon kill Lebanese journalist, wound another

Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon on Wednesday killed Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil and wounded a photographer accompanying her, according to a senior Lebanese military official and Khalil's employer, the Al-Akhbar newspaper. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on Khalil's death. Earlier, the Israeli military said in a statement it had received reports that two journalists were injured as a result of its strikes. The death of Khalil, 43, brought the death toll on We...

April 23, 2026 10:10 AM

Strait of Hormuz Tensions Escalate as Iran Seizes Ships, US Maintains Pressure Amid Fragile Diplomacy

A volatile standoff in the Strait of Hormuz is deepening in the past few hours as the naval blockade of Iran intensifies, with new incidents reported in and around . Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says it has seized two container ships for “disrupting order and safety” within a declared maritime exclusion zone. Maritime monitoring agencies also report a third vessel was fired upon near the coast of Oman, sustaining significant damage to its bridge, though no casualties have been ...

April 23, 2026 9:39 AM

Iran seizes ships in Strait of Hormuz after US calls off renewed attacks

Iran seized two ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, tightening its grip on the strategic waterway a day after U.S. President Donald Trump announced he was indefinitely calling off attacks, with no sign of peace talks restarting. The status of a two-week-old ceasefire, due to expire earlier this week, remained unclear. In a sharp about-face hours after threatening renewed violence, Trump made what appeared to be a unilateral announcement on Tuesday that the U.S. would extend a ceasefire ...