Russia urges Israel to stop assaults on Bushehr facility amid worker safety concerns

Russian foreign ministry's spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Thursday (June 19) repeated a Russian warning to the United States not to get involved militarily in the Israel-Iran conflict, saying this would have unpredictable and negative consequences.
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Indian Express

23 minutes ago

• Indian Express

Kremlin declines to predict when Putin and Trump may meet

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday he could not predict whether Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet with US President Donald Trump this year. Peskov told reporters that Russia hopes to agree with the United States soon on a new round of negotiations to remove 'irritants' in bilateral ties.

First Post

29 minutes ago

• First Post

Should India worry about Trump's lunch with Pakistan's Asim Munir?

US President Donald Trump and Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir had lunch at the White House on Wednesday (June 18). This is the first time that a US president has made such an invitation to the chief of the Pakistan Army. What's brewing? Should New Delhi be vigilant? read more US President Donald Trump and Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir had lunch at the White House on Wednesday (June 18). This is the first time that a US President has made such an invite to the head of the Pakistan Army who is not head of state. New Delhi will be undoubtedly watching the events with interest. While many in India had celebrated the return of Trump to the White House, others questioned whether it would be to New Delhi's benefit. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD But how worried should India be about the lunch? Let's take a closer look: What happened? Munir, who is on a five-day trip to the United States , has thus far received the red-carpet treatment. Trump at the luncheon was accompanied by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Special Representative for the Middle East Steve Witkoff. Munir was accompanied by National Security Advisor Lt Gen Asim Malik, who is also the head of the intelligence agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Trump, speaking at the White House, said he wanted to thank Munir for not going to war with India. 'The reason I had him here, I want to thank him for not going into the war, ending the war (with India). And I want to thank, as you know, Prime Minister Modi,' he said. Asim Munir was recently promoted to Field Marshal. AFP Trump said that 'two very smart people decided not to keep going with that war'. 'That could have been a nuclear war. Those are two nuclear powers, big ones, big, big nuclear powers, and they decided (to end the conflict),' he added. When asked if the talks included the Iran-Israel conflict, Trump said: 'They (Pakistan) know Iran very well, better than most, and they're not happy about anything. It's not that they're bad with Israel. They know them both, actually, but they know Iran better." 'The engagement marks a significant moment in the ongoing efforts to reinforce the longstanding partnership between Pakistan and the United States, built upon shared objectives of peace, stability, and prosperity,' the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Army, said in a statement after the lunch. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Apart from lunch at the White House with Trump, Munir also met a number of top US security officials at the Pentagon, the state department, and Central Command headquarters in Florida. How worried should India be? Some argue that New Delhi should be worried. After all, this is the first time a US President has invited a Pakistani military chief who isn't head of state to the White House. Ayub Khan, Zia ul-Haq and Pervez Musharraf were all heads up state at the time they were hosted at the White House. This despite Pakistan continuing to back terror groups and Indian intelligence agencies even investigating if Munir's remarks instigated the Pahalgam atta ck in April. Trump's tone on Pakistan has also undergone a jarring shift. Trump just a few years ago accused Pakistan of offering the United States 'nothing but lies and deceitful'. However, this must be seen in light of what Trump can personally get from Pakistan. Trump, since returning to office, has made cryptocurrency and rare earth minerals a top priority. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Pakistan, which recently established a Crypto Council, has tied up with a firm with links to the Trump family. US President Donald Trump speaks with reporters while flying aboard Air Force One en route from Calgary, Canada to Joint Base Andrews. AP Incidentally, Zachary Witkoff, the son of Steve Witkoff, represented the firm at the meetings with senior Pakistani officials including Munir. Pakistan has also invited US companies to invest in its mineral reserves – which are estimated to be worth trillions of dollars. Pakistan is also eager to reach a trade deal with the US – another Trump priority. 'President Trump expressed keen interest in forging a mutually beneficial trade partnership with Pakistan based on long-term strategic convergence and shared interests,' the ISPR statement added. Analysts says this is Trump's modus operandi – dealing with a country strictly on a quid pro quo basis. 'The Trump-Munir meeting shouldn't be seen only through the lens of the Israel-Iran war,' Michael Kugelman, a Washington-based south Asia analyst, told The Guardian. 'There's been US-Pakistan engagement on crypto, minerals and counter-terrorism, and Trump takes a deep personal interest in all of these.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'This is classic Trump: 'What can you do for me? What can I get out of this?'' Trump's claims about also being responsible for the ceasefire between India and Pakistan are also causing a backlash for the Modi government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a phone call with Trump Tuesday denied that the United States played any role in the ceasefire. Modi said that India has never sought third party mediation and would never do so. Modi said that the ceasefire came at the behest of Pakistan. Some argue that India should not be surprised given the United States' history of prioritising Pakistan – given its strategic location and its pliability to Washington many demands – since the Cold War. They say that India has positioned itself as a far more reliable and trustworthy partner. They add that the US is likely courting Pakistan at the moment in case it needs a base from which to launch operations against Iran. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Marvin Weinbaum, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute (MEI), and former state department official, speaking to Al Jazeera, warned Pakistan that 'nothing is permanent in this administration'. 'If Pakistan does play some role in the Iran crisis, they have could have more substantial meaning to these ties. But it needs to be prepared that there is nothing settled with this administration. It can change on a dime, at any hour,' he added. With input from agencies

Time of India

30 minutes ago

• Time of India

What if Strait of Hormuz gets blocked? Oil Minister lays out India's options

As tensions heat up in Middle East, Union Oil Minister Hardeep Puri has said that India is preparing to source crude oil from outside the Persian Gulf and cut its own refined-product exports if the Strait of Hormuz is blocked to ship traffic. About a quarter of the world's oil trade passes through the key waterway, which links the Gulf to the Indian Ocean. Some market watchers are concerned that Iran, locked in a conflict with long-time adversary Israel, could choose to attack tankers sailing through Hormuz or close the strait altogether. About 40 per cent of India's total crude imports, and 54 per cent of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies, would be at risk if the conflict leads to a closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow sea passage between Iran and Oman that carries nearly 30 per cent of global oil trade and 20 per cent of LNG shipments. India is a net exporter of petroleum products, with refiners such as Reliance Industries Ltd. and Nayara Energy shipping to countries including the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, the US and Australia. It could reduce those shipments if needed to maintain sufficient stockpiles at home, Puri said. 'We have enough stocks' of crude and refined products, Puri told NDTV . 'We have enough diversified supplies' of crude, and 'even if there were to be disruption, we can source it from alternate sources.' Iran has previously threatened to close the strait in times of conflict, though there's no sign of that happening so far. Of the 5.5 million barrels of oil India consumes every day, 1.5 million pass through the waterway, according to Puri. 'I don't think this is something we are unduly worried about,' he said. There is ample crude available in the global market, which means it isn't supply but prices that are a concern, he said. India is a net exporter of petroleum products, with refiners such as Reliance Industries Ltd. and Nayara Energy shipping to countries including the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, the US and Australia. It could reduce those shipments if needed to maintain sufficient stockpiles at home, Puri said. India's product exports have averaged 1.3 million barrels a day so far this year, with Reliance and Nayara accounting for 82 per cent of shipments, Kpler data show. India eyes West Africa Indian refiners are considering West African nations and other alternative energy sources to secure additional fuel supplies, should Iran attempt to block the Strait of Hormuz — a critical choke point for global oil and gas transit —as its conflict with Israel intensifies, reported ET quoting oil industry executives. Since the outbreak of the Iran-Israel hostilities on Friday, top oil ministry officials and industry executives are analysing various scenarios and evaluating all possible responses to potential supply disruptions and price spikes. According to the oil ministry, India has total crude and petroleum product storage 'capacity' equivalent to 74 days of national consumption. This includes strategic reserves that can cover 9.5 days of demand. Total capacity includes inventory at refineries, pipelines, ships enroute, product depots, and empty tanks that can hold crude or refined products, executives told ET. Why Strait of Hormuz a point of worry? At just 33 kilometres wide at its narrowest point, Strait of Hormuz is considered the world's most important chokepoint for oil and gas. A quarter of the world's oil and 20 per cent of the world's liquefied natural gas passes through it, so mining the choke point would cause gas prices to soar. Iran has previously targeted vessels passing through this channel and has made repeated threats to close the route. Recently, ships passing through the area have also experienced jamming of their signals. The strait forms a narrow maritime corridor between Iran and Oman and is the main export route for crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) from major producers such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar, and Iran. In response to the rising tensions, Qatar has asked tankers to wait outside the strait until they are ready to load. Meanwhile, Japanese shipping company Nippon Yusen KK has instructed its vessels to keep a safe distance from the Iranian coast while passing through the area.