World and Wars

America and its allies' increased military action against the Houthis has so far failed to deter the Yemeni group from attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea. Amid the escalating tension, Houthis have specifically named Russia and China while saying vessels not linked to Israel, USA, and UK are safe. While the tension is driving up oil prices, is India insulated because of its increased purchases from Russia? And can Delhi use this equation for protecting its own ships in the region?

Houthi action in the Red Sea has brought the civil war in Yemen back to the forefront of geopolitical discussions. Even as the U.S. struggles to deter the Houthis from targeting commercial ships and holding world trade at ransom, a new investigative report has claimed that one of America's key allies in the region is actually making the Houthis' control in Yemen stronger. Watch the full video for more.

During the term of the last Maldives President, Ibrahim Solih, the Indian administration of Narendra Modi extended a huge tranche of financial assistance to the Indian Ocean archipelago as it was struggling with a massive Chinese debt problem. Five years later, Solih has been replaced by Mohamed Muizzu, who appears intent on alienating Delhi, and appeasing Beijing, with no regard for his country's recent history. The ongoing controversy, sparked by racist comments against Indians and objectionable language for the Indian PM, is marring a relationship which is marked by many highs and few lows. So what comes next? Is Muizzu taking the Maldives in the direction of Sri Lanka and Pakistan - the other neighbours of India which trusted China and came to regret it?

The killing of senior Hamas leader Saleh Al Arouri has put Israel's secret assassination strategy back in the spotlight. While the Israel government has not confirmed its role in Arouri's killing, many are taking it for granted, given declarations by top leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, that Israel would kill Hamas leaders wherever they are. However, the Arouri operation has also renewed the debate about the efficacy of assassinations by Israel's spy agency Mossad. Its past targets have included the founders of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. However, these groups didn't just survive the assassinations, but managed to grow stronger and then carry out the October 7 attack. Mossad also has had a string of embarrassing failures, including being forced to save top Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal whom they had poisoned, and also killing an innocent civilian after mistaking him for a Palestinian leader.

Days after the Israel-Hamas war virtually reached India's shores in the form of a commercial ship being attacked with a drone near Gujarat, Hindustan Times has accessed inside information of what the investigation so far has revealed. The Indian Navy and Coast Guard, which responded to MV Chem Pluto's distress call on December 21, recovered evidence in the form of what appear to be wings of a drone, burnt to a crisp in the attack. Sources have revealed that the wings are likely to belong to a Shahed 136, a loitering munition or suicide drone, which is made by Iran. This appears to prove right what the US military had said a day after the incident.

For weeks, Houthi attacks on commercial ships have caused mayhem on international trade. The attacks are in support of Gaza, according to the Yemeni group, but the fallout is being felt across the world. Now, it has emerged that an Israeli logistics company has struck deals with firms in multiple Arab countries to set up a land route which would help transporters avoid the Red Sea route. These same Arab countries have been severely critical of Israel's actions in Gaza. But their rivalry with Iran, the backer of Hamas and Houthis both, appears to be winning over their solidarity with the Palestinians. This is also a positive development for the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor which is being pushed heavily by the Narendra Modi government.

A viral video of a speech by most-wanted Yahya Sinwar has sparked speculation that a television series shot in Gaza, and aired on Hamas' channel, was either the inspiration behind the Palestinian group's October 7 attack on Israel, or was a not-so-subtle hint of its sinister plans. During Ramzan of 2022, a show titled 'Fist Of The Free' was aired on Hamas' Al Aqsa television channel. Palestinians are now drawing parallels between the show - called an imitation of 'Fauda' - and the events which unfolded on October 7.

Even after two months of intense war, the worst is not yet over, with Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu government warning that the fighting with Hamas could last for "several" more months. But it is not clear whether the Israeli economy would be able to handle such a long conflict, even as the Israeli military continues to march on, mainly with assistance from the United States of America. In the latest sign of economic distress, Israel's main airport - Ben Gurion International - reportedly sent hundreds of workers on unpaid leave. This comes just days after data revealed that Israel's economy was already slowing down before receiving a body blow in the form of the Gaza conflict. Does this mean that PM Netanyahu, whose 'Mr Security' image has already taken a beating because of Hamas' October 7 attack, will lose the 'Mr Economy' tag too?

It has been two months since the Israel-Hamas war started, and a week since the fragile ceasefire ended in Gaza. Abu Obaida, the spokesperson of Hamas' military wing Al Qassam Brigades, on December 7 claimed that the group had destroyed more than 130 military vehicles of Israel over a period of 72 hours. Over the same duration of time, Israel admits to have lost at least 12 soldiers. This comes as Israel Defense Forces are turning their focus from northern Gaza to the south of the Strip. But this does not mean that the war is half-done. Listen to the full epiosode on why, and what comes next.

India's neighbour Myanmar is on the edge once again. The last two weeks have seen a spike in fighting between Myanmar’s Ruling Junta and rebel militias. To be clear, unrest was always there. But this is among the most intense fighting seen since the country’s military overthrew the democratically elected government over 2 years ago. HT's Editor-Digital Videos Aditi Prasad explains the crisis in Myanmar and its implications for India.

First they received a fillip because of the Russia-Ukraine war, and now they've gotten a boost from the raging Israel-Hamas war. Western weapons manufacturers are cashing in on the rise in conflicts around the world, issuing a forecast which is rosy for them, but grim for the rest of the world. Tune in now

When Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah delivered a speech recently, his supporters were disappointed. They thought that Nasrallah would announce full-scale war against Israel while the latter fights Hamas in Gaza. However, Nasrallah only repeated warnings to Israel and its allies like the USA. Now, a new video released by Hezbollah appears to have revealed Nasrallah's true intentions in the war. Listen to the full episode here.

Amid rising concerns among Israel's allies over civilian casualties in Gaza, news has emerged about the Joe Biden government clearing a deal for precision-bomb technology to be supplied to Israel. A similar deal worth hundreds of millions of dollars was approved earlier too. The technology in question is SPICE - equipment which turns normal munitions into smart bombs. It was used by the Indian Air Force during its surgical strikes in Pakistan's Balakot in February 2019. Listen to the full episode here.

The Gaza Strip is witnessing one of the worst phases of violence in its history as Israeli forces continue their onslaught to wipe off Hamas. Over 9,900 people have been killed in Gaza as Israel continues to ignore calls for a ceasefire. While the immediate provocation for the war was Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel on October 7, there is a lot of history that led to this current situation in the Middle East. In the latest episode of World at War, we explain the seven big events that led to the current war.

Ever since Hamas' attack on October 7 and the retaliation by Israeli forces, a raging debate has gripped some of America's top universities. Students and professors both have picked sides. But the war debate has taken a dark turn in recent days with threats being issued to Jewish students, and some even being allegedly intimidated. The Joe Biden administration has said that it has taken note of the rise in anti-Semitism in campuses and is working to address it

Amid a worsening war with Hamas, Israel has handed out a dozen contracts to 6 companies to look for gas reserves in the eastern Mediterranean. This comes just days after Iran called on Muslim members of OPEC to ban oil exports to Iran. This brought back memories of the devastating oil embargo on western nations during the Yom Kippur war. Watch the full video to know why Iran's call would be ringing alarm bells in Delhi

Qatar is once again in the middleman's chair, mediating negotiations for the release of hostages taken by Hamas during its October 7 attack on Israel. The tiny Islamic emirate in the Middle East has played this role in cases related to many conflicts in recent years - from Afghanistan to Russia. But the Israel-Hamas war has backed Doha into a corner. On the one hand, Qatar is under pressure from western allies to get the hostages released quickly. An escalation of the conflict does not suit Doha economically as well. On the other hand, such a move can endanger Qatar's strategic positioning in the region for the current conflict, and beyond. Listen to the full episode here.

The ongoing conflict between the Israeli Army and Hamas fighters in Gaza has put the Middle East on the boil. Both Israel and the U.S. have said that Iran could be the real instigator behind Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel on October 7. While Iran has repeatedly said that it has nothing to do with the recent Hamas attack on Israel, analysts are unwilling to buy its claim. So is the Israel-Hamas war really a result of Iran’s revenge against Israel & the U.S.? What is Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s endgame? Watch the latest edition of World at War where Aditi Prasad explores why Iran may be the instigator-in-chief of the crisis in the Middle East

Nearly three weeks after the horrific massacre perpetrated by Hamas in Israel, and days after more than a dozen attacks took place on US troops in Iraq and Syria, the Joe Biden administration is reportedly stepping up surveillance measures in the Middle East. This includes increasing intelligence-gathering via drones and boosting patrolling at military camps that host its soldiers. America is implementing a host of measures, even as it sends a significant armada of warships and an arsenal of weapons to the region to deter the widening of the conflict. Listen for the full episode.