West Asia conflict

April 15, 2026 9:45 AM

Italy’s Meloni suspends defence cooperation deal with Israel

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Tuesday her government had suspended a defence cooperation deal with Israel, reflecting frayed ties between previously close allies as the conflicts in the Middle East continue. Meloni's right-wing government has been one of Israel's closest friends in Europe, but in recent weeks it has criticised its attacks on Lebanon, which have killed hundreds and injured thousands. Israel also fired warning shots last week at Italian troops serving in Lebanon ...

April 15, 2026 9:27 AM

Trump turns on Meloni, says he is ‘shocked’ by Italian leader

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni lacks courage and has let Washington down, U.S. President Donald Trump told an Italian newspaper on Tuesday, delivering a blunt public rebuke to one of his closest European allies. Meloni had been a vociferous supporter of Trump, but she distanced herself from him after he went to war with Iran in February, and on Monday she openly criticised him for lashing out at Pope Leo, saying his verbal assault was "unacceptable". Trump responded in an interview with...

April 15, 2026 9:21 AM

US hosts rare Israel-Lebanon talks, progress unclear

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted the first direct talks between Israel and Lebanon in decades on Tuesday and both sides said they held positive discussions although it was not immediately clear if they agreed to a framework for peace. The meeting marked a rare encounter between representatives of governments that have technically been in a state of war since Israel was established in 1948. They entered the talks with conflicting agendas, with Israel ruling out discussion of a ceasefir...

April 13, 2026 10:35 AM

Economic shock of Middle East war to cast shadow over IMF, World Bank meetings

Top finance officials from around the world will convene in Washington this week under the shadow of the war in the Middle East, which has delivered a third major shock to the global economy after the COVID pandemic and Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Top International Monetary Fund and World Bank officials last week said they would downgrade their forecasts for global growth and raise their inflation predictions as a result of the war, warning that emerging markets and develop...

April 13, 2026 9:43 AM

Trump says gas prices may remain high through November midterm election

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the price of oil and gasoline may remain high through November's midterm elections, a rare acknowledgement of the potential political fallout from his decision to attack Iran six weeks ago. "It could be, or the same, or maybe a little bit higher, but it should be around the same," Trump, who is in Miami for the weekend, told Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures With Maria Bartiromo" when asked whether the cost of oil and gas would be lower by the fal...

April 13, 2026 1:49 PM

No Breakthrough in US-Iran Talks; Military Tensions Rise Across West Asia

The West Asia conflict has taken a sharp new turn after ceasefire talks between the United States and Iran in Islamabad collapsed without any agreement or timeline for further negotiations. The discussions lasted around twenty-one hours before ending early Sunday without a breakthrough. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump announced that the US Navy would immediately begin blockading the Strait of Hormuz, interdicting vessels that pay tolls to Iran and moving to clear Iranian-laid mines in the ...

April 13, 2026 9:39 AM

US to blockade Iran after talks fail to yield a deal

The U.S. military said it will begin a blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas on Monday after weekend talks failed to reach a deal to end the war with Iran, jeopardizing a fragile two-week ceasefire. The talks in Islamabad, which ran from Saturday into early Sunday, were the first direct U.S.-Iranian meeting in more than a decade and the highest-level discussions since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution. The negotiations came days after a ceasefire beg...

April 10, 2026 10:32 PM

90% cargo backlog cleared at major ports amid Strait of Hormuz disruptions: Sarbananda Sonowal

Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday said that nearly 90% of cargo backlog at India’s major ports has been cleared following swift government intervention amid disruptions linked to tensions in the Strait of Hormuz. Chairing a high-level review meeting with senior officials and port authorities, the minister said timely monitoring and coordinated action helped restore normal port operations and minimise the impact on trade. “We acted swiftly and in a...

April 10, 2026 9:16 PM

Hormuz shipping remains restricted despite ceasefire, thousands of vessels still stranded

Maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains restricted despite a two-week ceasefire between Tehran and Washington that began on April 8, with shipping activity still far below normal levels. Industry estimates indicate traffic has dropped by nearly 95 percent compared to pre-crisis levels, with only a limited number of vessels moving under tight Iranian supervision. Most ships currently transiting are Iranian-linked, part of the so-called dark fleet, or flying flags of countries Tehran...

April 10, 2026 7:45 PM

India assures energy stability amid West Asia tensions, steps up fuel supply, maritime safety and citizen support

The Centre on Friday said the country’s energy systems remain stable and resilient despite ongoing geopolitical tensions in West Asia, while outlining a series of measures to ensure uninterrupted fuel supply, safeguard maritime operations, and protect Indian nationals abroad. At an inter-ministerial media briefing held at the National Media Centre, officials from key ministries, including Petroleum and Natural Gas, Power, External Affairs, and Ports, Shipping and Waterways, highlighted India�...