World – The Kashmir Horizon

Two Army personnel injured in accidental blast near LoC in Uri

KH Web Desk — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 15:52:57 +0000

Srinagar, July 28 (UNI) Two Army personnel were injured in an accidental blast near the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Uri sector, officials said on Tuesday.

The incident occurred in the Kamalkote area of the Uri sector.

Officials said the blast was accidental in nature and resulted in injuries to two soldiers.

“Both the injured personnel were immediately airlifted to the Army’s Base Hospital at Badamibagh in Srinagar for specialised medical treatment,” they said.

Officials reiterated that the explosion was accidental and not linked to any cross-border firing or militant activity.

There was no statement from Army so far about the incident.

CM Omar mocks Mehbooba: “Did she apologise or express regret?”

KH Web Desk — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 15:30:06 +0000

Srinagar, July 28 (UNI) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday took a swipe at PDP president Mehbooba Mufti over her clarification on the controversial remarks she made at Jantar Mantar, asserting that she had not actually apologised but had merely expressed regret.

Speaking to reporters in Srinagar, Omar said there was a clear distinction between maafi (apology) and maazrat (regret), and argued that Mehbooba had avoided offering an unconditional apology.

“Did she use the word maafi? No. Did she apologise? No,” Omar said. “There is a difference between maazrat and maafi. If someone says, ‘If anyone was hurt by what I said,’ and uses the word agar (if), then that is not an apology. It is only an expression of regret.”

His remarks came hours after Mehbooba clarified that her ‘banta hai’ remarks had inadvertently slipped out and expressed regret if her statement had hurt anyone’s sentiments.

Omar also questioned the conduct of a PDP MLA who had allegedly claimed for several days that the controversial video of Mehbooba’s remarks was generated using artificial intelligence.

“What about those people who tried to suppress this issue for five days? Who spread falsehoods?” he asked. “Today, Mehboobaji herself has admitted there was no AI involved and that she had made those remarks. His (MLA’s) own president has exposed the lies that were being spread.”

The Chief Minister went on to ask whether the MLA who propagated the AI claim should continue in office.
“He is a responsible MLA. Should he remain an MLA after misleading people for five days?” Omar said.

Responding to questions on the Peoples Democratic Party’s planned protests on the anniversary of abrogation of Article 370, Omar said the party was free to pursue whatever programme it wanted.
“Who has stopped them? When they had the opportunity, they did not raise these issues in Delhi. Let them do whatever they want now,” he said.

In a sharp political attack, Omar blamed the PDP for the current constitutional situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
“We are here because of them. If they had not brought the BJP into power, we would not have been in this situation,” he said, referring to the PDP-BJP coalition government formed in 2015.

He added that if the PDP had realised its mistakes and now wanted to rectify them, it was their decision to make.

Netanyahu to discuss dismantling Iranian nuclear programme winning Iran war with Trump during US visit

KH Web Desk — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 15:20:46 +0000

Jerusalem, Jul 28 (UNI) As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu departed for the US to meet President Donald Trump, the two, according to an official from the Israeli PMO, are going to hold bilateral discussions on how to “win the war and forge lasting peace” in West Asia, reports The Times of Israel.

“As the prime minister enters the White House at the invitation of President Trump, few allies have met so often and few alliances have achieved more in such short a time,” said the PMO official.

“President Trump and the prime minister will discuss the defining issues of our time and how to leverage our great alliance to win the war and forge lasting peace,” the official concluded. “Peace through strength.”

Another major topic that Netanyahu is set to bring up is Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain during their meeting today, with Trump claiming that it’s because the Israeli premier wants the US president to “stay involved.”

Speaking to Fox News, Trump insisted “I don’t need Bibi to tell me” stuff regarding intelligence on the Iranian nuclear site, stating that Washington was well briefed and up to date on the matter.

The US president also expressed some frustration that Netanyahu made news of Iranian construction at the site public, stating “Why can’t you just tell me? Why’d you have to tell the world?”

Nonetheless, dismissing the whole thing he continued “It’s not a big problem,” adding “We took out their nuclear sites, and we’ll have to take out Pickaxe if they don’t make a deal.”

Trump further claimed that US forces “could take out most of their (Iran’s) bridges in less than an hour” and all their power plants within a day and remarked that he saved Israel from an existential threat by supposedly stopping Iran’s nuclear programme, declaring “If I weren’t president today, Israel would not exist.”

US not escalating war with Iran any further due to depleting arsenal of missiles

United News of India — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 20:28:22 +0000

Washington, Jul 21 (UNI) Despite being launched into a war with Iran and trading strikes with it on a near daily basis, the US has not escalated its conflict with Tehran further due to a massive depletion in its missile stock, an anonymous US official told The Washington Post.
According to the official, the Trump administration is preparing for the possibility of a broader conflict in the near future but cautioned that any expansion would remain short of an all-out war.
According to the report, US operations are in the region have been heavily obstructed due to its dwindling inventory of long-range and air defence munitions, as well as limits on the military’s ability to deploy additional aircraft and personnel to West Asia post combat losses.
“We do not have enough to safely sustain operations, and I don’t think the White House is aware of that,” the official told the newspaper.
The reported assessment comes as Iranian attacks have inflicted mounting casualties and damage on US forces in recent weeks. Over the past fortnight, at least three American service members have been killed and nearly 100 injured, with Iranian strikes having also reportedly damaged aircraft, radar systems and other military infrastructure at US bases across the region.
As such, Washington’s objectives have narrowed considerably since the war started, with its initial goals of dismantling Iran’s nuclear programme and toppling the Islamic Republic’s leadership, along with its goals of degrading Iran’s military capabilities being sidelined to way to simply being focused on restoring freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
However, reopening the strategic waterway is by no means an easy task as it requires substantially greater resources, including additional fighter aircraft, warships and tens of thousands of troops, according to the report.
Furthermore, Trump has also signalled his reluctance to commit to sending ground forces to another war in West Asia, with the reported shortages of precision munitions limiting Washington’s military options even more.
The result, as per the Post’s report, is a conflict in which both Washington and Tehran will continue carrying out retaliatory strikes while seeking to pressure each other into making concessions.
With US midterm elections approaching and petrol prices once again nearing $4 a gallon, the report said Trump could face growing domestic pressure to bring the war to an early end.
UNI

Iranian minister holds talks in Pakistan as mediators seek to revive US ceasefire deal

United News of India — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 20:27:13 +0000

Tehran/Islamabad, Jul 21 (UNI) Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni met senior Pakistani officials on Tuesday as regional mediators intensified efforts to revive the collapsed ceasefire agreement between Tehran and Washington, according to officials familiar with the discussions.
The visit comes amid the country’s increased diplomatic efforts to restore negotiations between Iran and the US, although it remains unclear whether a new framework can be agreed upon at all to halt the escalating war.
According to two Pakistani officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because the talks were held behind closed doors, Momeni met Pakistan’s Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir in Islamabad. He was also scheduled to hold talks later on Tuesday with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Pakistan, which has been one of the primary mediators between Washington and Tehran helped broker last month’s interim agreement and following the deal’s collapse has been working to persuade both sides to resume negotiations over unresolved issues contained in June’s memorandum of understanding, which has effectively unravelled following a sharp escalation in fighting over the past week.
Pakistani authorities did not immediately release details of Tuesday’s meetings.
The diplomatic discussions took place even as Iran continued its attacks against Gulf Arab states allied with the US. Although US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday said that Washington remained willing to negotiate with Tehran, he stressed that “it has to be real.”
However, President Donald Trump has been far more aggressive in his rhetoric and vowed vengeance after three US service members were killed over the weekend.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump warned that “every time Iran kills an American Soldier they will pay for that killing many times over!”, signalling that the US would continue to respond militarily even as efforts towards a diplomatic breakthrough remain ongoing.
UNI

Lebanese Army begins troop deployment in one of three ‘pilot zones’ amid President Aoun’s visit to Washington

United News of India — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 20:26:54 +0000

Beirut, Jul 21 (UNI) The Lebanese army began deploying troops to one of three designated “pilot zones” in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, marking the first implementation of a US-brokered agreement under which Israeli forces are to withdraw from parts of the border region.
The deployment coincides with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun’s visit to Washington for talks with US President Donald Trump, whose administration helped broker the agreement signed in late June.
Israel invaded southern Lebanon amid its parallel war with the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia and has continued to occupy a strip of territory extending around six miles beyond the border despite a ceasefire.
Israeli officials have maintained that until the Hezbollah is disarmed, the IDF’s forces will continue to be stationed in southern Lebanon, a demand that the Islamist militia has repeatedly refused.
“Military units began deploying this morning to Zawtar al-Gharbiya,” in Lebanon’s Nabatieh governorate, the Lebanese army said in a statement.
Lebanese military vehicles, including one flying the national flag, were spotted entering the village, which lies on the edge of the area Israel has designated as its security zone in southern Lebanon.
The US State Department said on Monday that Lebanese forces had begun assuming responsibility for security in Zawtar al-Gharbiya, Froun and Srifa, the three pilot zones covered by the agreement.
According to the department, Israeli troops were no longer present in Froun and Srifa, while forces remained positioned on the outskirts of Zawtar al-Gharbiya.
The IDF confirmed on Tuesday that the “Safe Zone” pilot programme had begun.
An IDF official said Israel would “adjust its force posture in one of the pilot areas in order to enable the Lebanese Armed Forces to carry out their mission,” signalling the first operational step towards implementing the phased security arrangement.
UNI

Conflicting claims over Strait of Hormuz as Iran says transit ‘not possible’, US says waterway open

United News of India — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:35:30 +0000

Tehran, July 12 (UNI) Conflicting statements have emerged over the status of the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran and the United States issuing opposing claims over whether vessels can continue passing through the strategic waterway.
Iran’s authority responsible for overseeing a new transit protocol for the strait said on Sunday that the passage of vessels was currently “not possible,” shortly after the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the waterway remained open to all vessels.
The Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA), an Iranian body tasked with managing transit arrangements, said the restriction was linked to what it described as recent US military movements in the region. “Due to the recent unlawful movements of United States military forces in the region, transit through the Strait of Hormuz is currently not possible,” the PGSA said in a post on X.
The authority added that once “stability and calm are restored,” applications for vessel movement would be reviewed according to the established schedule and the required permits would be issued.
The US Central Command said the Strait of Hormuz was “open to all vessels,” despite the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) announcing that it had closed the waterway.
“The Strait of Hormuz is open to all vessels seeking to lawfully transit the international waterway,” CENTCOM said in a post on X, adding that US forces were positioned to ensure freedom of navigation remained available despite what it described as “unwarranted Iranian aggression, harassment, threats, and arbitrary declarations.”
“Iran does not control the strait. Traffic is flowing,” CENTCOM said.
The Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC), overseen by the US Navy, said the Omani “southern route” through the Strait of Hormuz remained available for two-way traffic.
However, it warned that the security threat level in the waterway remained “severe.”
Data from maritime tracking agency MarineTraffic showed that traffic through the strait had again declined following Iran’s announcement.
The Strait of Hormuz, located between Iran and Oman, is one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints, with a major share of global oil and gas shipments passing through the narrow waterway.
The conflicting statements come amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington following a series of military strikes and retaliatory actions in the region, raising concerns over possible disruptions to international shipping and energy markets.UNI

Death toll from Earthquake in Venezuela rises to 235: Health Minister

United News of India — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 05:37:01 +0000

Caracas, June 26 (Sputnik/UNI) The death toll from a devastating earthquake in Venezuela has risen to 235, Health Minister Carlos Alvarado said.

“As of 19:00 today, we have provided assistance to more than 4,300 injured people. Most of them suffered minor injuries, but there are also patients in moderate to severe condition, many required surgery,” Alvarado said on state television channel VTV.

He said some 235 people were admitted to hospitals “already lifeless or died immediately after arrival at medical facilities.”

The minister said the most critical situation remains in the state of La Guaira, where the highest number of deaths and injuries has been recorded.

Alvarado said that immediately after the earthquake, the state emergency response mechanism was activated nationwide, and more than 5,000 medical workers, including over 1,200 doctors, were deployed to provide assistance in the hardest-hit areas.

He said that not only state but also private clinics have joined the effort. More than 150 patients are being treated in private medical facilities, and many injured people with minor injuries have already been discharged.

Two powerful earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude struck Venezuela on Wednesday. They were followed by 30 aftershocks. Many homes were destroyed, infrastructure and hospitals were damaged, and the country’s main airport was closed.

Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences over the tragic consequences of the devastating earthquake. Moscow voiced its readiness to assist Caracas.

Trump calls for ceasefire “on all fronts” as U.S.-Iran talks enter 60-day phase

United News of India — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 05:56:25 +0000

Washington, June 19 (UNI) Washington expects a “complete ceasefire on all fronts,” U.S. President Donald Trump said, urging “everyone in the Middle East” to adhere to their commitments.

“We expect a complete Ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon, Hezbollah, and Israel,”

Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social on Thursday.

“The United States is committed to PEACE, and we encourage everyone in the Middle East Region to maintain their commitment to allowing our negotiations to beautifully unfold,” he added.

Trump signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Wednesday with Iran in France, launching a 60-day negotiation period beginning Thursday aimed at reaching a final agreement,

according to Xinhua.

The MoU calls for “the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.”

However, Israel has said it does not intend to withdraw its forces from Lebanon.

Iran says enriched uranium will not be taken from country, US to withdraw troops within 30 days

United News of India — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 05:13:38 +0000

Tehran, June 18 (Sputnik/UNI) Tehran reaffirms its position that enriched uranium will not be taken from the country, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei said.

“We have said from the very beginning that enriched materials will not be taken from the country. One option is down-blending within Iran. This is not a new option,” he said on Iranian television.

The diplomat made this statement after the announcement of the signing of a memorandum with the United States on ending the conflict, which is expected to be followed by negotiations on the Iranian nuclear programme and sanctions against Iran.

The United States will withdraw troops from areas adjacent to Iran within 30 days of the final agreement, and will not deploy additional forces until then, Iranian news agency IRNA reported, citing the text of the memorandum.

“The United States also undertakes to withdraw troops from areas adjacent to Iran within 30 days of the signing of the final agreement,” the fourth paragraph of the memorandum read.

At the same time, according to the ninth paragraph, the United States will not send additional forces to the region after the signing of the memorandum, the document added.