Whom to trust, EAM or FM?

Melania’s observation that path to peace is through education is crucial, but equally crucial is understanding that all conflicts are not due to ignorance

- MANISHA PANDE

The escalation of tensions in the Gulf is beginning to ripple far beyond the battlefield, and for India the consequences are already visible in markets, policy debates, and diplomatic messaging. Three developments on Monday captured the scale of the challenge facing Asia's third-largest economy.

First, oil markets surged past the psychologically significant $100-a-barrel mark, following reports that Iran had chosen Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his slain father, Ali Khamenei, as supreme leader. The signal to global markets was clear: the confrontation between Iran and the United States is unlikely to end quickly, and the world needs to brace for a prolonged phase of geopolitical risk that could repeatedly disrupt energy flows.