Latest Updates on West Asia Conflict

Israel, Lebanon agree to 45-day extension of ceasefire after US talks

Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 45-day extension of their ceasefire after another round of talks in Washington, the US State Department said Friday. It comes after two "productive" days of talks, and will be followed by more negotiations June 2-3, State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said. A shaky truce between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon had been due to end on Sunday. "We hope these discussions will advance lasting peace between the two countries, full recognition of each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and establishing genuine security along their shared border," Pigott said on social media.

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OMCs hike petrol, diesel prices by Rs 3 per litre amid mounting losses

Petrol now costs ₹97.77 per litre in Delhi, up from ₹94.77 a litre earlier, while diesel prices have been raised to ₹90.67 per litre

Iran has 'no trust' in US, will negotiate only if it is serious: Araghchi

Speaking in New Delhi during the Brics foreign ministers' meeting, Araghchi said Iran is working to maintain the ceasefire to allow diplomacy an opportunity to move forward

India ready to offer support for West Asia peace: PM Modi during UAE talks

India is ready to extend all possible support to bring peace in West Asia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday during his talks with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The Modi-Al Nahyan meeting took place shortly after the prime minister landed in the Gulf nation in the first leg of his five-nation tour that also includes four European countries. We condemned the attacks on the UAE, Modi said in his opening remarks in the meeting with the UAE leader. The UAE, which hosts a prominent US military base, has been at the receiving end of Iranian strikes during the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran. Modi further said, "The way UAE has been targeted is not acceptable" but "the way UAE has handled the current situation with restraint is praiseworthy." The prime minister highlighted how the impact of the West Asian conflict is being felt globally, adding: "India is ready to extend all possible support to bring peace in West Asia.: The prime minister was received at t

Rupee slides to record low past 96/$ as oil nears $110 per barrel

The rupee opened on a weaker note and fell 30 paise to 95.94 on Friday after hitting new lows over three straight sessions, as elevated crude oil prices, a strong dollar, and concerns over the West Asia crisis weighed on investor sentiment. Forex traders said USDINR is under pressure and hovering very close to the 96 mark as dollar buying continues amid upside in oil prices. Moreover, the Summit between US President Trump and Chinese President Xi did not yield any fruitful results, particularly on the US-Iran front, denting investor sentiments further. The USD/INR pair, which had slumped to 95.96 against the American currency on Thursday, recovered sharply after reports surfaced that India is considering a major cut in taxes paid by foreign investors on Indian bonds. On Friday, the government hiked the petrol and diesel prices by Rs 3 per liter in the latest move to curb the demand of these fuels. At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 95.86, then fell furth

Indian OMCs source crude at competitive rates in March amid Iran war

March crude procurement costs for Indian OMCs remained steady year-on-year in dollar terms and rose only slightly from February, despite the West Asia conflict

Oil price rises over 1% after Trump says he is losing patience with Iran

Brent crude oil futures rose $1.32, or 1.25 per cent, to $107.04 a ‌barrel by 0425 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate futures were up $1.33, or 1.31 per cent, to $102.50

Recovering Iran's uranium mostly for 'public relations', says Trump

The status of the nuclear material has been a sticking point in ongoing talks with Iran's leadership to draw a conclusion to the war

'Iran is finished': Trump pushes for deal to end war after talks with Xi

US President Donald Trump said Iran is "finished" and must either negotiate a deal to end the ongoing conflict or face destruction. "Deal or annihilation for Iran," Trump stated during an interview with Fox News on the final day of his three-day trip to China. He emphasised that the US cannot "let Iran have a nuclear weapon." "They're finished now; they can make a deal, or they will be annihilated," Trump said after in-depth discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping on various issues, including Iran. Trump was scheduled for one more meeting with Xi on Friday, followed by lunch before returning home, concluding his visit to China. During the interview, Trump noted, "President Xi would like to see a deal between the US and Iran." He added that Xi offered assistance, saying, 'If I could be of any help whatsoever, I would like to help.' Trump expressed his belief that China also does not want Iran to possess nuclear weapons. Additionally, Trump mentioned that General Dan Caine, ..

OMCs hike petrol, diesel prices in four metros amid West Asia crisis

Petrol in the national capital will now cost ₹97.77 per litre, up from ₹94.77, while diesel will be priced at ₹90.67 per litre, compared with ₹87.67 earlier

Israel-Lebanon hold 3rd round of talks as fighting with Hezbollah continues

A third round of direct talks between Israel and Lebanon kicked off in Washington Thursday, days before the expiration of a truce that reduced but did not stop the fighting between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Lebanese officials are hoping that the two-day negotiations will yield a new ceasefire deal and pave the way for tackling a series of thorny issues, including the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon and the disarmament of Hezbollah. The Trump administration has been pushing for a breakthrough between the two neighbours that have been officially in a state of war since Israel was created in 1948. Hezbollah, however, is not part of those talks and has been vocally opposed to Lebanon engaging in direct negotiations with Israel. Israel and the Iranian-backed militant group have continued to trade near-constant fire across the border despite a US-brokered ceasefire on April 17. Initially a 10-day truce, it was then extended for another three ...

Brics meeting sees Iran-UAE clash over West Asia conflict in Delhi

Sharp differences between Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) over the West Asia conflict were on full display on Thursday during the opening day of the BRICS foreign ministers' meeting in New Delhi, signalling the challenges the bloc faces in reaching a consensus position on the crisis. It is learnt that there were heated exchanges between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and the UAE's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar during the first sessions at the meeting. As the situation appeared to deteriorate, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov intervened to cool the tempers, it is learnt. In his address, Araghchi said Iran is a victim of "illegal expansionism and warmongering" and urged the BRICS nations to "explicitly condemn" what he described as violations of international law by the US and Israel. The Iranian foreign minister called upon the BRICS to resist "Western hegemony and the sense of impunity that the US believes it is entitled ...

Iran allows some Chinese vessels to transit through Hormuz Strait

The Fars report came as U.S. President Donald Trump, who is on a state visit to China, agreed with the Chinese leader Xi Jinping that the Strait of Hormuz must be open for the free flow of energy

Trump, Xi agree Strait of Hormuz must reopen to restore energy flows

US President Xi Jinping and his Chinese counterpart were in agreement that the Strait of Hormuz needs to be opened to support global energy needs, according to a readout of their Thursday meeting by a White House official. Xi also opposed any implementation of tolls on vessels crossing the strait, which effectively has closed since the start of the US and Israel war against Iran. Xi expressed interest in China purchasing more US oil to reduce future Chinese dependence on Gulf oil, according to the official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The leaders also discussed further stemming the flow of fentanyl precursor chemicals into the U.S. and increasing Chinese purchases of U.S. agricultural products.

Iran foreign min urges Brics to condemn US-Israel for int'l law violation

Araghchi said Iran views Brics as a symbol of an emerging global order led increasingly by countries of the Global South

India backs 2 state solution for Palestine issue: Jaishankar at Brics meet

Jaishankar said the tensions in the Gulf region, including threats to maritime traffic and energy infrastructure, underline the fragile security environment

Indian-flagged merchant ship attacked off Oman coast, all crew members safe

An Indian-flagged commercial vessel has come under attack off the coast of Oman but all its crew members are safe, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday. It is not immediately known who carried out the strike on the vessel on Wednesday. The MEA described the attack as "unacceptable". "The attack on an Indian-flagged ship off the coast of Oman yesterday is unacceptable and we deplore the fact that commercial shipping and civilian mariners continue to be targeted," it said. "All Indian crew on board are safe and we thank the Omani authorities for rescuing them," it said. The MEA said India reiterates that targeting commercial shipping and endangering innocent civilian crew members, or otherwise impeding freedom of navigation and commerce, should be avoided.

India's wholesale inflation rises to 42-month high of 8.3% in April

India's factory-gate inflation accelerated sharply in April as rising fuel, diesel, and crude oil prices linked to the West Asia crisis pushed wholesale prices to a multi-year high

India faces challenge of bridging Brics rift over West Asia conflict

India is hosting the two-day Brics foreign ministers' meeting, which kicks off Thursday, with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar chairing the gathering