Pakistan and China are in advanced discussions to form a new regional body with the mandate to replace the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), which has been inactive since 2014 due to India-Pakistan tensions. The plan aims at increased regional integration, trade, and connectivity in South Asia, with a focus on dealing with...
India’s Defense Minister, Rajnath Singh, reportedly refused to sign the joint declaration at the ongoing Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting in China. According to Indian media, Singh’s refusal stems from the declaration’s failure to mention the Pahalgam incident and its inclusion of a condemnation of terrorism in Balochistan, which spells a pro-Pakistani stance. Indian media...
On June 24, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, marking a potential end to the 12-day conflict that has heightened tensions across the Middle East. The agreement, brokered through intense diplomatic efforts and Trump’s direct talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and indirect communications with Tehran via Vice...
Reports of explosions in Doha, Qatar, have come in, following Iran’s strike on the U.S.-operated Al Udeid Air Base, the largest American military facility in the Middle East. According to Reuters and Axios, Iran launched six missiles targeting the base, with witnesses reporting loud blasts and projectiles visible over the Qatari capital. Qatar had closed...
Donald Trump, the President of the United States, has sparked controversy yet again by publicly entertaining the idea of a regime change in Iran, explicitly announcing through a Truth Social post, stating, “It’s not politically correct to use the term, ‘Regime Change,’ but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN,...
The United States launched airstrikes on Iran on 21 June, 2025, targeting its nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, intensifying the Israel-Iran conflict, which is in its second week today. The U.S. operation, which U.S. President Donald Trump labeled as a decisive blow to Iran’s nuclear program, triggered polarized global reactions, with some nations...
On June 22, 2025, Iran launched a significant retaliatory missile attack on Israel, targeting multiple cities, including Haifa, Tel Aviv, and Jerusalem, in response to recent U.S. and Israeli strikes on its nuclear facilities. The Iranian response, which some analysts have labeled “ferocious,” comprised waves of ballistic missiles and drones, intensifying the conflict that began...
On June 21, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that the American forces launched airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan—in an unprecedented escalation of the Israel-Iran war. The strikes, conducted with B-2 stealth bombers and submarine-based Tomahawk missiles, hit facilities integral to Iran’s nuclear program, which, according to U.S. and Israeli claims, threatens regional security. Trump termed the strikes...
The 51st session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) was hosted in Istanbul, Türkiye, on June 21–22, 2025, in the face of escalating tensions in the Middle East driven by Israel’s ongoing military operations against Iran and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan chaired the...