Pope Leo XIV issued his strongest and most direct demand to date for an end to the US-Israeli war in Iran, addressing those gathered to pray the Angelus in St. Peter’s Square, Vatican, March 15, 2026 There is an English proverb, ‘The darkest hours are just before the dawn.’ Maybe, hope should linger on that …
Continue reading “Mojtaba’s message to Trump: ‘Bring it on!’”
Iran’s new Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei (File photo) The stunning message from the first public message on Thursday by Iran’s new Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei is that “The Strait of Hormuz must remain closed.” In seven words, he threw the gauntlet at President Trump belying all expectations that he will opt for continuity …
Continue reading “Iran-US conflict turns into prolonged attrition”
Russian oil tanker Sea Horse carrying 200,000 barrels of gas oil diverted from Cuba as US naval blockade deterred shipments, February 27, 2026 A well-honed tool in the United States’ diplomatic box is to rub the nose of its vassal states in the dust occasionally to remind them they are a lower form of life, …
A national daily commented editorially yesterday that apropos of the United States’ war on Iran, the Modi government should “take a more emphatic stand against the war and work with other powers to de-escalate the conflict. India should also strongly oppose U.S. attempts to bring the war to its backyard.” Such counselling is overdue. Signs …
US Vice President JD Vance (R) met with Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi (L), Washington, February 27, 2026 Any longtime observer of the US-Iran hostility would know that appearances can be deceptive diplomacy. Over time, one gets to read the tea leaves with reasonable success with the help of intuitive cognition that gets sharpened out …
Continue reading “The folly of India’s dalliance with Israel stands exposed”
The US President Donald Trump (R) met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, February 11, 2026 Picking up the threads from where I last wrote on the US-Iran negotiations a week ago in my blog titled Odds are 8-1 Trump won’t start a Gulf war, the talks beginning in Geneva today …
The rare appearance by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the State Duma is always a special occasion to read the tea leaves in Russian politics. The salience here, to my mind, lies in the confirmation, if one was needed, that the Kremlin is watching with growing anxiety the transition of the US foreign policies, …
Continue reading “Lavrov sees a new era of global development”
The éminence grise of Iran’s foreign and security policy strategy and Secretary of Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani was received by Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tariq to review the latest developments in the US-Iran negotiations and discuss ways to reach a ‘balanced and fair’ agreement, Muscat, Feb 10, 2026 The mutual hostility between …
Continue reading “Odds are 8-1 Trump won’t start a Gulf war”
Deccan Herald, Feb 4, 2026 Israel’s push, Trump’s pause… The Iran Dilemma M K Bhadrakumar United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s scary admission a week ago during a US Senate hearing was the first signal that, in the asylum of cuckoos surrounding the cascading US-Iran tensions, voices of sanity were asserting. https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/israels-push-trumps-pausethe-iran-dilemma-3885849?
Negotiators from Ukraine (L) the U.S. (C) and Russia (R) meeting in Abu Dhabi, February 4-5, 2026, United Arab Emirates The second round of the trilateral meeting of the US, Ukrainian, and Russian delegations on security issues held in Abu Dhabi on February 4-5 shows incipient signs of progress, contrary to doomsday predictions. One may …
