Author: Deshwale Global Desk

From the Gulf monarchies to the border states of Iran, religious demography does not write foreign policy. But in moments of escalation such as the 2026 Iran crisis, it quietly informs every serious calculation being made across the region. The Middle East has rarely been a region where simple majorities translate into simple power. Religious identity, ethnic composition and political authority have collided, combined and contradicted one another in ways that defy easy categorisation. For decades, outside observers have tried to explain the region through the lens of Sunni-Shia division. The lens has some utility. It also distorts more than…

On an ordinary weekday morning in a bustling port city on India’s western coast, a small manufacturing exporter opens his email to find a message he has been dreading. His European client, a mid-sized engineering firm, is suspending orders indefinitely. Shipping routes have become unpredictable after renewed fighting near a key maritime chokepoint. Insurance premiums have surged. Freight costs are volatile. Delivery timelines can no longer be guaranteed. The exporter has never visited a conflict zone. His factory floor hums with the same machines it did last month. His workers show up as usual. Yet, in that moment, war has…

२८ फ़रवरी २०२६ की सुबह जब तेहरान में लोग अपने रोज़मर्रा के कामों में लगे थे, तब दुनिया के सबसे बड़े सैन्य अभियानों में से एक की शुरुआत हो चुकी थी। अमेरिकी रक्षा विभाग ने इसे “ऑपरेशन एपिक फ़्यूरी” नाम दिया और इज़राइल ने अपने हिस्से को “ऑपरेशन रोअरिंग लायन” कहा। यह सिर्फ़ मिसाइल हमला नहीं था। यह दशकों की कूटनीतिक खींचतान, परमाणु तनाव और प्रतिनिधि संघर्षों का एक हिंसक परिणाम था। हमले की पृष्ठभूमि: बातचीत की मेज़ से रणभूमि तक पिछले कुछ महीनों में ईरान और अमेरिका के बीच ओमान की मध्यस्थता में परमाणु वार्ता चल रही थी। जिनेवा…

The Naval Strike That Opened a New Chapter At roughly 2 a.m. Gulf Standard Time on 28 February 2026, the first explosions were reported near Chah Bahar. Within the hour, satellite feeds were showing fires burning at the waterline of Iran’s Konarak Naval Base. By dawn, the smoke was visible from commercial shipping lanes twelve nautical miles offshore. The Middle East had crossed a threshold it had been approaching for years. The United States and Israel had launched a coordinated assault on Iran under two codenames – Operation Epic Fury for Washington and Operation Raging Lion for Tel Aviv. Among…

Air travel worldwide has been severely affected following the US-Israeli military strike on Iran. Airlines across Europe, the Middle East, and North America have cancelled multiple flights as safety concerns over regional airspace escalated. For millions of passengers, the disruption has been immediate and frustrating. Airspace Safety and Airline Decisions Civil aviation authorities and airlines acted swiftly to minimise risk. Airspace over Iran and parts of the Persian Gulf has been closed or restricted. Airlines including Lufthansa, Emirates, British Airways, Qatar Airways, and United Airlines cancelled or rerouted flights that usually cross these zones. Safety is non-negotiable in aviation, and…

By Hiren Gandhi The Middle East is entering a tense and uncertain phase as the United States and Israel move closer to a potential military confrontation with Iran. According to the latest reporting by Axios in February 2026, rising tensions over Iran’s nuclear programme have significantly increased the possibility of military action if diplomacy fails. Massive U.S. Military Deployment The United States has reinforced its military presence in the region. Two aircraft carrier strike groups have been deployed, alongside more than 50 advanced fighter jets, including F-35, F-22 and F-16 aircraft. Defence analysts say this scale of deployment provides Washington…

By: Hiren Gandhi Analysts Say Timing of Tariff Announcements Reflects Calculated Negotiation Tactic Washington: In global trade negotiations, attention usually centres on tariffs, trade balances and policy outcomes. However, analysts are increasingly pointing to another factor shaping economic diplomacy under former and current US President Donald Trump timing. A review of major tariff announcements during both the 2018–2019 US–China trade tensions and the current 2025–2026 phase of Trump’s leadership reveals a recurring pattern. A significant number of trade-related decisions and warnings have been issued toward the end of the week, particularly on Fridays. Trade observers describe this as a deliberate…

By: Hiren Gandhi નવી દિલ્હી/વોશિંગ્ટન: વિશ્વ વેપાર અને આંતરરાષ્ટ્રીય રાજકારણમાં સામાન્ય રીતે ધ્યાન નિર્ણયની સામગ્રી પર કેન્દ્રિત રહે છે ટેરિફ કેટલો, કરાર શું, અને તેની આર્થિક અસર કેટલી. પરંતુ અનુભવી વાટાઘાટકારો માને છે કે ઘણી વખત સફળતા નિર્ણયના મુદ્દા કરતાં વધુ તેના સમય પર આધારિત હોય છે. અમેરિકાના ભૂતપૂર્વ અને ફરી કાર્યરત પ્રમુખ Donald Trumpના કાર્યકાળ દરમિયાન એક વિશિષ્ટ પેટર્ન વારંવાર સામે આવ્યું છે. મહત્વપૂર્ણ ટેરિફ જાહેરાતો અને આર્થિક દબાણના સંકેતો અઠવાડિયાના અંતે, ખાસ કરીને શુક્રવારે જાહેર કરવામાં આવ્યા. શરૂઆતમાં આ સંયોગ લાગ્યો, પરંતુ સમય જતાં બજારો અને રાજદ્વારી વર્તુળોમાં તેને ગોઠવાયેલી સમય-વ્યૂહરચના તરીકે જોવામાં આવવા લાગ્યું. વિશ્લેષકો તેને “ટ્રમ્પનું…

२८ फ़रवरी २०२६ की सुबह तेहरान के पास्तूर इलाक़े के ऊपर धुआँ उठा। सर्वोच्च नेता अयातुल्लाह अली ख़ामेनेई के दफ़्तर के पास मिसाइलें गिरीं। क़ुम, कर्मानशाह, इस्फ़हान और करज में धमाकों की ख़बरें आईं। ईरान का हवाई क्षेत्र बंद हो गया। राजधानी में मोबाइल सेवा ठप हो गई। वॉशिंगटन में अमेरिकी राष्ट्रपति डोनाल्ड ट्रंप ने एक वीडियो बयान में पुष्टि की कि अमेरिकी सेना ने ईरान में “बड़े युद्ध अभियान” शुरू किए हैं। उन्होंने इसे ईरानी शासन से “तत्काल ख़तरों” को ख़त्म करने की कार्रवाई बताया। इज़राइल के रक्षामंत्री इज़राइल काट्ज़ ने भी हमलों की पुष्टि की और उन्हें इज़राइल…

As tensions intensify between Iran, Israel and the United States, public appearances by Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have noticeably declined. His absence from major state events has prompted speculation, although Iranian authorities have offered no unusual explanation. In Iran’s political system, visibility carries weight. The Supreme Leader is not merely a symbolic cleric. He is the country’s highest authority. He sets general policies, oversees their implementation, commands the armed forces, appoints senior officials, and exercises decisive influence over elections, security and foreign affairs. During moments of military strain, his role becomes even more central. For more than three…