Russia Dares Trump In Mideast: Putin's Navy Teams Up With Iran For 3-day War Games In Caspian Sea
/ Jul 22, 2025, 12:01PM IST
Iran and Russia have launched a three-day joint military drill in the Caspian Sea, codenamed CASAREX 2025, aimed at enhancing maritime safety and strengthening regional coordination. This comes amid deepening defense ties between the two nations. In May, Iran's parliament approved a 20-year strategic partnership with Russia, originally signed by Presidents Putin and Pezeshkian in January and ratified by Russia's Duma in April. While the deal stops short of a mutual defense clause, it commits to robust military-technical cooperation. As the drills began, Iran's Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh met his Russian counterpart in Moscow, signaling a continued push for expanded strategic alignment.#CASAREX2025 #IranRussiaDrills #IranMilitary #RussiaDefense #CaspianSea #IranRussiaAlliance #StrategicPartnership #MiddleEastSecurity #NavalExercise #DefenseDiplomacy #Geopolitics
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Business Standard
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- Business Standard
Trump tariffs raise alarm, but how dependent is India on US imports
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According to United Nations Comtrade data, India's imports from the US were $38.99 billion during 2024. India imported goods worth $3.63 billion from the US in May 2025 alone. At the same time, India exported $81.4 billion worth of goods and services to the US, making it India's largest export destination, particularly for IT services, pharmaceuticals, and engineered goods. What India imports from the US India relies on the US for specific categories: High-end electronics and semiconductors Aircraft and aerospace parts Medical devices Energy products, especially LNG Machinery and precision equipment Professional services and technology consulting These are not bulk imports like oil or gold, but they are critical for India's technology, defence, and infrastructure sectors. Indian tariffs on US imports US goods entering India are already expensive—India has been accused by the US official of applying some of the world's highest tariffs. 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Pharmaceuticals and medical devices While the US provides advanced formulations and devices, India imports APIs (active pharmaceutical ingredients) largely from China, and equipment from Germany, Switzerland, and Singapore. Additionally, India is a net exporter of medicines, limiting dependence. Energy products India buys LNG from the US, but Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Qatar, and the UAE remain its dominant energy suppliers. The US helps diversify supply, but it is not critical for energy security. Agricultural goods Imports of almonds, apples, and walnuts from the US were once significant, but India diversified during the retaliatory tariff phase (2019–2023), sourcing from Australia, Chile, Canada, and Turkey. These alternatives remain active. Spirits and alcohol US bourbon and whiskey are well-regarded, but Scotch from the UK, Cognac from France, and Japanese whiskies dominate the Indian market. At a 150 per cent tariff, cost is already a bigger barrier than supply. Strategic, not structural, dependence US imports matter more for strategic value than volume. For instance, when it comes to aircraft parts or cloud infrastructure, US firms are not easily replaceable in the short term. But India has cultivated multi-source supply chains across Asia, West Asia, and Europe. In sectors like telecom, India navigates between US and Chinese suppliers, balancing technology performance, cybersecurity, and pricing. European firms like Nokia and Ericsson also offer alternatives. However, India has banned over 200 Chinese apps and restricted tech firms from tenders, making China an unlikely alternative. What's at stake beyond goods While the spotlight is on goods, services dominate India's trade surplus with the US. In FY25, India exported $383.51 billion in services, much of it to the US, where Indian IT firms have their largest client base. Any trade tension that spills into services could affect employment and revenue more than any tariff on physical goods. 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Business Standard
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News18
a minute ago
- News18
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