Sunday, December 28, 2025

Israel- Iran crisis: Middle East on edge, India watches closely

By
Tehelka Bureau
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India enjoys close and friendly relations with both Iran and Israel

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday received a phone call from his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu during which the two leaders discussed the ongoing tensions between Israel and Iran. 

According to a PMO statement  Netanyahu briefed PM Modi on the latest developments. 

PM Modi too conveyed New Delhi’s deep concern over the unfolding situation and stressed the need for “early restoration of peace and stability in the region.” 

As missiles criss-cross Israel and Iran, Middle East is on the edge. India has expressed the need for early restoration of peace and stability in the region, according to the MEA.

India enjoys close and friendly relations with both countries, is “deeply concerned” about the rising tensions.

India and Iran share a millennia-long history of interactions.The contemporary relationship draws upon the strength of these historical and 

civilisational ties, and continues to grow further marked by high-level exchanges, commercial and connectivity cooperation, cultural and robust people-to-people ties, according to MEA

India and Israel too are strategic partners with  civilisational relations dating back more than two millennia. 

The bilateral political ties are warm and forward-looking. India announced its recognition of Israel on September 17, 1950. Soon after, the Jewish Agency established an immigration office in Bombay (Mumbai), which was later converted into a Trade Office and, subsequently, a Consulate. 

Regular embassies opened in 1992 when full diplomatic relations were established between the two countries. In 2022-23, the two countries jointly celebrated 30 years of the elevation of bilateral ties to full diplomatic, states the Indian Embassy in Tel Aviv.

Israel on Friday carried out a “precise, preemptive strike” in Iran, claiming the attacks were aimed at disrupting Tehran’s nuclear capabilities in response to continued “aggression” from the country. Iran also fired a barrage of ballistic missiles at Israel in retaliation for Israel’s surprise attack, according to reports.

Trump repeats offer to mediate on Kashmir, claims he averted India-Pakistan war

By
Tehelka Bureau
-

US President Donald Trump has once again offered to mediate between India and Pakistan on the Kashmir issue, despite India’s consistent rejection of such interventions.

Speaking at a bill-signing event at the White House on Thursday, Trump claimed he had previously prevented a potential war between the two nuclear-armed neighbours through phone calls and trade pressure.

“I stopped a war between India and Pakistan, and I did it with trade,” Trump said, adding that he made calls to both countries at a time when tensions were dangerously high.

The US President claimed that both nations had been on the brink of conflict and hinted that a nuclear escalation was possible. “They were getting ready. It was Pakistan’s turn to hit. I called each of them. I respect both leaders greatly, I know them. I spoke to them about trade,” he said, adding that the threat of ending US trade ties made both sides back down.

Trump also said India is currently negotiating a new trade agreement with the United States, and Pakistan may soon do the same. He argued that the Republican Party deserves credit for this “strategic thinking”.

The comments come weeks after the Indian armed forces carried out ‘Operation Sindoor’, a coordinated military strike on May 6–7 targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The action was taken in response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 civilians – 25 tourists and one pony operator..

India has repeatedly rejected foreign mediation on Kashmir, maintaining that the matter must be resolved bilaterally with Pakistan.

Black Box recovered, investigation begins

By
Vibha Sharma
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Black Box– Understanding the device that helps ascertain cause of accident  

Black box of the London-bound Air India flight that crashed minutes after taking off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad has been recovered.

The device was recovered by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) team at the rooftop of the resident doctors’ hostel building in which the ill-fated aircraft crashed, according to ground reports.

The data and recordings from the black box will help investigators understand what happened between the take-off and the crash of the ill-fated Boeing Dreamliner on Thursday. 

Though it is called a black box, actually it is a bright orange-coloured device which has been designed and built to withstand extreme conditions. The colour orange makes it easier to locate it.

Every commercial aircraft comes equipped with a Flight Data Recorder (FDR) which records details on flight operation like altitude, speed, engine performance, control inputs etc and a Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) which records conversations between pilots, their communications with air traffic control along with other ambient sounds.

According to experts, locating the black box of this particular aircraft may not have been such a difficult task given the location of the crash and the debris. They have also been recovered from under the sea and in difficult locations.

In any case, they are built to survive crashes, high-impact, fires, and deep-sea type of circumstances. They are normally installed in the tail of the aircraft—the part where they are least likely to be damaged in the case of an accident.

By analysing their data and recordings, investigators will be able to reconstruct the final moments of the aircraft and prevent such mishaps in future. There can be many causes for a crash like technical/ mechanical, design, human error (pilot or ATC), weather conditions, which need to be fixed for future flight safety. In the past the back box data has been a great help to determine the cause of the accident which further led to changes in aviation regulations, training procedures and improving aircraft design.

Gold marks all-time of Rs 1 lakh on back of geopolitical tensions, weakening rupee

By
Vibha Sharma
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Photo: Naveen Bansal

Driven by rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, gold prices on Friday breached the Rs1 lakh mark per 10 grams on the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX). Opening at Rs 99,500 per 10 grams, the yellow metal breached the psychological threshold of Rs 1,00,000 to reach Rs 1,00,403 with retail prices reflecting a similar trend.

Silver too saw gains in early trade.

Manav Modi from the Motilal Oswal Financial services Ltd said that on Friday gold marked an all-time high of Rs 1 lakh on the domestic front, hovering close to $3500 as investors sought safe-haven assets after Israel’s strike on Iran heightened Middle East tensions.

Photo: Naveen Bansal

“This latest spike in hostilities in the Middle East has taken the focus off trade negotiations for now, and built the risk premium once again in the market.

The surge in bullion prices was attributed to heightened tensions between Israel and Iran, driving investors towards gold which is considered a safe-haven asset during times of geopolitical uncertainty.

International geopolitical developments also resulted in weakening of the Indian rupee against US dollar in early trade on Friday due to a spike in global oil prices and a firm dollar. 

The rupee declined 56 paise to 86.08 against the US dollar in early trade today

According to Colin Shah from Kama Jewelry, gold prices may see some correction due to bouts of volatility but “we anticipate prices to hover in the range of Rs 1,00,200  and 1,00,500 on MCX, subject to international economic influences.”

“The gold prices in India hitting an all-time-high is on the much-expected lines given the latest development in international geopolitical tensions, and weakening of the INR. The uncertainties drive up the demand of gold as a safe investment haven as compared to other asset classes. The price trend is going to face some resistance which will keep it below 1 lakh in the short-term,” he added.

Earlier today the Israeli military launched airstrikes against Iran, targeting nuclear locations to block Tehran from developing atomic weapons, in an operation called ‘Rising Lion’.   

Israel declared a state of emergency shortly after the strikes.  The head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Hossein Salami was killed in the strikes, according to reports. Meanwhile US military is reportedly preparing to send contingencies in the Middle East, including potential assistance with evacuating American civilians.

Israel attacks Iran: Airlines steer clear of Iranian air space

By
Vibha Sharma
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Apart from being a serious safety concern, the  increasing number of conflict zones around the world are also becoming a burden on airline operations and profitability.

Israel’s attack against Iran and the subsequent closure of the Iranian airspace on Friday saw the diversion of as many as 16 long and ultra-long haul Air India flights, according to the airlines.

In fact, many carriers across the world steered clear of the airspace over Israel, Iran, Iraq and Jordan after Israel launched attacks on targets in Iran, either diverting or cancelling flights in mind passengers, crew and flight safety.

Israel on Friday morning launched airstrikes deep inside Iranian territory, targeting nuclear and military infrastructure, marking an escalation in long-standing tensions between the two nations.

Meanwhile, an Air India flight heading from Thailand to Delhi made an emergency landing on Friday after a bomb threat was received on board, according to agency reports.

Ahmedabad witnessed a deadly crash in 1988 also 

By
Tehelka Bureau
-

Today, an Air India flight bound for London carrying 242 passengers crashed shortly after take-off in a residential area of Ahmedabad. The flight, AI 171, had just departed from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport when it crashed.

The 1996 Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision between two aircraft on November 12, 1996, remains the worst air tragedy in the country, but Ahmedabad also witnessed a tragedy on October 19, 1988.. The Indian Airlines Flight 113 was operating from Mumbai to Ahmedabad and crashed on its final approach to Ahmedabad Airport, killing 133 of the 135 people on board.  

It was the deadliest crash in the history of Indian Airlines and till date the fourth-deadliest aircraft accident in the history of India, surpassed by the 1996 Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision, the 2010 Air India Express Flight 812 Mangalore crash.and the 1978 Air India Mumbai crash

On November 12, 1996, Saudi Arabian Airlines Boeing 747 and Kazakhstan Airlines Ilyushin Il-76 collided near Delhi, killing all 349 people on both aircraft.

On May 22, 2010, Air India Express Flight 812 overshot the runway at Mangalore, resulting in 158 deaths. The aircraft broke apart after falling into a gorge.

On January 1, 1978, Boeing 747 on Air India Flight 855 crashed into the Arabian Sea after take-off from Mumbai, killing all 213 on board.                                              

Other major civilian air crashes over the past decades include the August 7, 2020, Calicut (Kozhikode) Air Crash. The Air India Express Flight 1344 from Dubai crashed while landing at Calicut International Airport, killing 21 people. The aircraft skidded off a wet runway and broke into two.

On July 17, 2000, a Boeing 737 on Alliance Air Flight 7412 crashed during landing at Patna, killing over 60 people.

On April 26, 1993, Indian Airlines Flight 491, a Boeing 737, crashed after take-off from Aurangabad, hitting a truck and power lines, killing 55 people.

On August 16, 1991, Indian Airlines Flight 257 crashed near Imphal, killing all 69 on board.

On February 14, 1990, Indian Airlines Flight 605, an Airbus A320, crashed on approach to Bangalore, killing 92 people.

On June 21, 1982, Air India Flight 403 crashed at Bombay airport, killing 17.

“I was on the same aircraft”, noticed “unusual things”, claims Delhi-AMD passenger

By
Tehelka Bureau
-

A passenger Akash Vatsa who claims to have  travelled to Ahmedabad from Delhi on the Air India aircraft thar crashed a couple of hours later on Thursday, says he noticed “unusual things” in his flight

“I was in the same damn flight 2 hours before it took off from AMD. I came in this from DEL-AMD. Noticed unusual things in the place.Made a video to tweet to @airindia i would want to give more details. Please contact me,” he posted on X after the crash

Operating Ahmedabad-London Gatwick, flight AI171 crashed a few minutes after take off from the Ahmedabad airport.

Gujarat’s Ex-CM Vijay Rupani died in Ahmedabad plane crash

By
Tehelka Bureau
-

Former Chief Minister of Gujarat Vijay Rupani, who was onboard Boeing 787-8 Air India aircraft which on Thursday crashed in Ahemdabad’s Meghaninagar, died, his office said in a statement.

The Boeing 787-8 aircraft which carried around 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, 1 Canadian national, and seven Portuguese nationals, crashed on BJ Medical College’s hostel mess during lunch hours. Over 50 intern doctors are fear dead in the incident.

The plane was bound to London’s Gatwick from Ahmedabad Airport.

According to an official statement, around 133 passengers have been declared dead in the incident. 

Over hundred died in Ahmedabad plane crash

By
Priyanka Tanwer
-

Over hundred people died after an Air India aircraft carrying 242 passengers, bound to London’s Gatwick crashed into a densely populated area, seconds after it took off from Ahmedabad Airport on Thursday.

The Boeing 787-8 aircraft which carried around 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, 1 Canadian national, and seven Portuguese nationals, crashed near Meghaninagar area.

The plane crashed on Atulayam Hostel – an intern doctor’s hostel where over 50 inter doctors lost their lives. The impact was in the mess of the hostel where several interns were having lunch.  

Soon after the crash, minister of civil aviation Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu rushed to Ahmedabad to take stock of the situation.

“We are on highest alert. I am personally monitoring the situation and have directed all aviation and emergency response agencies to take swift and coordinated action. Rescue teams have been mobilized, and all efforts are being made to ensure medical aid and relief support are being rushed to the site,” he said.

Meanwhile, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra patel has directed all the administration to create a green corridor for swift transport of injured passengers to hospitals and to prioritize all medical arrangements.

Union Minister Amit Shah also talked to Patel and assured full support from the Centre. “Shah confirmed the NDRF teams and other central agencies would provide every possible assistance in the ongoing rescue and relief efforts,” the official said.

Meanwhile, Air India chairman N Chandrasekaran expressed grief over the incident and said that our primary focus is on supporting all the affected people and their families.

“We are doing everything in our power to assist the emergency response teams at the site and to provide all necessary support and care to those impacted,” he stated.

Meanwhile it has been reported that former CM of Gujarat Vijay Rupani was likely on the ill-fated plane.  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also talked to civil aviation minister Rammohan Naidu to take stock of the situation in his home state. 

AI plane crashes near Ahmedabad airport 

By
Tehelka Bureau
-

An Air India aircraft bound to London’s Gatwick airport crashed in the Meghaninagar area near Ahmedabad airport.

Air India confirmed the accident saying, “Flight AI171, operating Ahmedabad-London Gatwick, was involved in an incident today, 12 June 2025.

” At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates at the earliest on airindia.com and on our X handle.”

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