&w=3840&q=100)
EAM Jaishankar speaks to Qatar PM Al Thani, discusses bilateral agenda
External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar spoke to the Prime Minister of Qatar, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, on Thursday and discussed the bilateral agenda between the two nations.
EAM Jaishankar, in a telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Al Thani, appreciated his assessment of the regional situation.
EAM wrote on X, "A warm call with PM & FM @MBA_AlThani_ of Qatar. Appreciated his assessment of the regional situation. Discussed our bilateral agenda."
Qatar's Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, played a key role in securing Iran's approval for the US-proposed ceasefire in the conflict with Israel, with Al Thani obtaining Tehran's agreement during a phone call with Iranian officials, as reported by Reuters, quoting an official briefed on the negotiation.
Al Thani's conversation followed Trump's communication with Qatar's Emir, in which the US President informed him that Israel had accepted the ceasefire proposal and requested Doha's assistance in convincing Tehran to agree to the deal, as reported by Reuters.
However, moments after the announcement, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) carried out a limited strike on an Iranian radar installation north of Tehran, following which Iran launched two ballistic missiles at Israel, as reported by The Times of Israel.
Trump expressed his strong disapproval of Israel and Iran "violating the ceasefire", he announced, and said that the two countries have been fighting "so long and so hard that they don't know what the f*** they're doing."
Shortly after, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office in a statement noted that after a conversation between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel has "refrained" from further attacks on Iran.
The conflict between Iran and Israel began on June 13 when Israel launched a large-scale airstrike targeting Iranian military and nuclear facilities under "Operation Rising Lion". Iran responded by launching "Operation True Promise 3", a campaign involving missile and drone attacks against Israel's infrastructure.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
24 minutes ago
- Time of India
US-China trade deal: After Donald Trump, China says details of deal ‘confirmed'; adds America to 'cancel series of restrictive measures'
Earlier in the day, Trump said that the United States and China have reached a trade agreement. (AI image) US-China trade deal: Soon after US President Donald Trump announced a trade deal, China has also confirmed that details have been finalized. China also said that United States will 'cancel a series of restrictive measures'. Earlier in the day, Trump said that the United States and China have reached a trade agreement. He also indicated an anticipated deal with India. According to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick's interview with Bloomberg TV, the agreement was finalized earlier this week, though specific details were not disclosed. "We just signed with China the other day," Trump said. Lutnick confirmed the agreement was "signed and sealed" two days prior. US-China Trade Deal This development follows initial discussions in Geneva in early May, where both nations agreed to delay substantial tariff increases that threatened bilateral trade. Subsequent talks in London established a negotiation framework, with Trump's mentioned deal appearing to formalise these arrangements. Also Read | 'Very big one': Donald Trump hints India, US on cusp of 'great' trade deal; 10 things to know "The president likes to close these deals himself. He's the dealmaker. We're going to have deal after deal," Lutnick said, according to an AP report. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Scam Exposed: What They Won't Tell You about zero trust! Expertinspector Click Here Undo China disclosed earlier this week an acceleration in rare earth export approvals, crucial materials for high-technology products including electric vehicles. Beijing's export restrictions on rare earths have been a significant point of dispute. The Chinese Commerce Ministry announced Thursday that Beijing was expediting the review process for rare earth export licence applications and had approved several applications that met requirements. Export restrictions on minerals overshadowed tariffs during recent trade talks between Beijing and Washington, following China's implementation of licensing requirements for seven rare earth elements in April. This action potentially threatened to affect production of vehicles, robotics, wind turbines and advanced technological items in the United States and globally. The Geneva accord reached in May required both nations to reduce retaliatory tariff increases implemented during Trump's trade war escalation. However, certain elevated tariffs persist, including Washington's duties related to fentanyl trade and those on aluminium and steel. Also Read | Indian team in US for fresh talks on trade deal These dynamic policy changes are negatively impacting both leading global economies. The US economy declined at a 0.5 per cent annual rate from January through March, partially due to increased imports as businesses and consumers acquired foreign products before Trump's potential tariff implementation. Chinese manufacturing profits decreased by more than 9 per cent year-over-year in May, with automotive manufacturers experiencing significant losses. The January-May period showed a decline exceeding 1 per cent compared to the previous year. Trump and US officials expressed optimism about securing trade agreements with numerous countries, including India. "We're going to have deal after deal after deal," Lutnick said. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
&w=3840&q=100)

First Post
36 minutes ago
- First Post
How Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei evaded Israel's attempts at assassination amid '12-day war'
With the dust settling on the '12-day war', Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz has revealed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was on the country's kill list, but the 'opportunity didn't present itself'. This is the first time that the Jewish nation has acknowledged targeting Tehran's leadership amid the hostilities. But how did the 86-year-old Iranian leader escape Israel's spy network and covert ops? read more What was the objective of Israel's strikes on Iran? Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Operation Rising Lion was launched on June 13 to eliminate the nuclear and missile threat posed by the Iranian regime. 'The Islamic regime, which has oppressed you for almost 50 years, threatens to destroy our country,' Netanyahu had said. 'The objective of Israel's operation is to thwart the Islamic regime's nuclear and ballistic missile threat to us.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD And now, on Thursday (June 26), days after Israel and Iran have agreed to a US-brokered ceasefire, Defence Minister Israel Katz has revealed that Israel sought to kill Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei . However, the opportunity never presented itself. But how is it that Khamenei evaded Israel? Did Israel seek to eliminate Khamenei? Israel's Defence Minister in a series of interviews on Thursday said that his country wanted to kill Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during the recent 12-day war. 'We wanted to eliminate Khamenei, but there was no operational opportunity,' said Katz in an interview with Israel's Channel 13. 'If he had been in our sights, we would have taken him out,' Katz further added, saying that Israel 'searched a lot' for Khamenei but the operational opportunity did not arise. In similar comments to other Israeli news outlets, Katz said that Iran's Supreme Leader had been marked for death, but Israel was unable to find him — as he hid deep inside an underground bunker, breaking off all communication with commanders. This is the first time that Israel has admitted to targeting senior leadership in Iran. During the military hostilities between Israel and Iran, the Jewish nation's administration maintained that the attacks were on Iran's nuclear infrastructure. When asked if Israel's ally, the United States, had signed off on Khamenei's assassination, the defence minister claimed that such permission was not needed. Earlier, it had been reported that US President Donald Trump had vetoed an Israeli plan to kill Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Two US officials told Reuters that the Israelis reported they had an opportunity to kill the top Iranian leader, but the president waved them off of the plan. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD And would Israel target Khamenei now after the ceasefire ? Katz said, 'There's a difference — before the ceasefire, after the ceasefire.' However, he warned the Iranian leader of getting complacent. 'He should learn from the late Nasrallah (the Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah ), who sat for a long time deep in the bunker. I recommend that he do the same thing.' People walk next to a mural with a picture of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on a street in Tehran, Iran. Reuters Where is Iran's Khamenei? Meanwhile, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei still remains hiding in a bunke r, one that he reportedly retreated to when Israel began its strikes on June 13. Until the war began, the 86-year-old leader was secure in a compound in central Tehran called the 'beit rahbari' — or leader's house. Reports state that Khamenei is hidden in a bunker in Lavizan in Tehran's northeastern suburbs. He is believed to be holed up with his family, including his son, Mojtaba - who has been pegged as a potential successor to the ageing supreme leader. What's even more notable is that the Ayatollah is under the protection of a top-secret elite unit, which no one knew even existed. A Telegraph report states that fearing Israel's penetration into the regime, the Iranian leader established a unit of bodyguards that no one, not even senior officials of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were made aware of. The guards of this unit were deeply vetted before being entrusted the responsibility of keeping the Iranian leader safe. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Also aware of the fact that US and Israel would be monitoring communication devices, the Iranian leader suspended all electronic forms of contact with aides and commanders. The New York Times quoting Iranian officials said that Khamenei mostly spoke with his commanders through a trusted aide, which, in turn, made it harder for Israel to find him. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks in a televised message, after the ceasefire between Iran and Israel, in Tehran, Iran on Thursday. Reuters What next? But as concerns emerged of the Iran Supreme Leader's well-being , two days after a ceasefire came into effect, he resurfaced on television on Thursday, claiming Iran would 'never surrender' to the United States. 'The US President [Donald] Trump unveiled the truth and made it clear that Americans won't be satisfied with anything less than surrender of Iran … such an event will never happen,' Khamenei said. He also downplayed the US strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites, saying that US President Donald Trump had exaggerated its impact. 'They could not achieve anything significant,' Khamenei said. 'The Islamic republic won, and in retaliation dealt a severe slap to the face of America,' he said, a reference to Iran's missile attack targeting the US airbase in Qatar, which caused no casualties. With inputs from agencies STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD


Mint
37 minutes ago
- Mint
India must protect its farmers, digital ecosystem, policy space in trade pact with US: GTRI
New Delhi, Jun 27 (PTI) Any trade agreement with the US must not be politically driven or one-sided and India should protect its farmers, digital ecosystem, and policy space, economic think tank GTRI said on Friday. With India's chief trade negotiator in Washington DC and the clock ticking, the next few days could determine whether India and the US settle for a limited mini-deal or walk away from the negotiating table - at least for now, the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said. The two sides are looking at finalising an interim trade pact before July 9, as it marks the end of US President Donald Trump's 90-day suspension of the country-specific tariffs, originally announced on April 2. "The more likely outcome is a limited trade pact - styled after the US-UK mini trade deal announced on May 8," GTRI Founder Ajay Srivastava said, adding, "any trade deal with the US must not be politically driven or one-sided, it must protect our farmers, our digital ecosystem, and our sovereign regulatory space." Under a mini or interim deal, according to the think tank, India is expected to cut tariffs on a wide range of industrial goods, including automobiles, a persistent demand from Washington. In agriculture, India may offer limited market access through tariff reductions and tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) on select US products such as ethanol, almonds, walnuts, apples, raisins, avocados, olive oil, spirits, and wine, it added. Beyond tariffs, the US is expected to press India for large-scale commercial purchases, including oil and LNG, civilian and military aircraft from Boeing, helicopters, and nuclear reactors, it said. "There may also be pressure on India to ease FDI restrictions in multi-brand retail, potentially benefiting firms like Amazon and Walmart and to liberalise rules on remanufactured goods, currently subject to stringent import norms," Srivastava said. Agricultural goods account for less than 5 per cent of US exports to India.