The View From India Newsletter: Rifts in the Gulf

(This article is part of the View From India newsletter curated by The Hindu’s foreign affairs experts. To get the newsletter in your inbox every Monday, subscribe here.)

We are living through devastating wars that seem never ending. Nearly 75,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. Around 3,000 people have died in Israeli attacks in Lebanon since early March this year.  There is still no meaningful breakthrough in the months-long U.S.-Israel war on Iran, which spilled over into neighbouring countries, amid a “ceasefire” that looked rather fragile from the beginning.   

The Hindu’s latest editorial on the issue, titled ‘Unwinnable war’, highlights the sequence of developments, including U.S. President Donald Trump’s many miscalculations, that got us here.  “Unlike Mr. Trump, who has made several self-contradictory statements since the war began, Iran has remained consistent in its demands. Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said last week that Iran would “protect” its missile and nuclear capabilities and continue to exercise control over the Strait of Hormuz,” it pointed out. Contending that “America is not winning this war”, it noted: “No amount of social media threats or military posturing is going to alter that reality. Washington should recognise this and pursue a deal with Iran based on accommodating mutual demands and reciprocal concessions if it wants to avoid pushing the world economy towards the precipice.”  

Now, U.S. President Donald Trump has rejected Iran’s proposal to end the months-long war as “totally unacceptable”, even as a key Republican leader urged him to consider the “military option”. Mr. Trump received the Iranian proposal on Sunday (May 10, 2026) amid hopes that it could lead to a breakthrough to end the war with Iran that began on February 28, blocking the key sea route for global oil supplies. Only days ago, Mr. Trump paused “Project Freedom”, launched aimed at guiding stranded merchant ships through the Strait of Hormuz, claiming “great progress” was made in talks with Tehran.

India’s choices  

Meanwhile, as we witness a very messy reconfiguration of the world, as if a blood sport were on, the players and their teams are shifting rapidly and unpredictably. The widening gulf among countries in West Asia poses several challenges to the world. As the UAE, Iran, and Saudi Arabia shape an increasingly multipolar West Asia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled briefly stop-over in Abu Dhabi, on his way to Europe. Where does India stand, and can it afford to choose a side? Watch the latest episode of Worldview, where our Diplomatic Affairs Editor Suhasini Haidar tells you all you need to know about the challenges facing India: 

Labour smashed 

Our London Correspondent Sriram Lakshman is tracking the massive setback for the Labour Party in the United Kingdom’s local elections. Friday was not a good day for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer or his Labour Party, as results for 136 councils to elect 5,000 councillors in England and Assembly elections in Wales and Scotland started coming in. A defiant Mr. Starmer pushed back against calls from within his party, for him to step down, he reports.

The beleaguered leader is expected to attempt a reset on Monday (May 11, 2026), as he faces a growing threat to his leadership following disastrous local and regional polls. In a speech, his office said he will acknowledge that “incremental change won’t cut it” with an increasingly disgruntled public, promising “a bigger response” in areas such as economic growth, closer European ties, and energy. 

Top 5 stories we are reading this week: 

1. Donald Trump eyes deal in Beijing as China gauges U.S. ‘decline’ – Ananth Krishnan writes on the May 13-15 visit of U.S. President to China.

2. Maritime safety and security is of primordial importance to Indian Ocean Region:Secretary-General tells Suhasini Haidar.

3. Repatriation of illegal Bangladeshis is a ‘core issue’: MEA   

4. One year after Operation Sindoor: The threat landscape has not disappeared, writes Luv Puri.

5. A watershed moment in India’s defence posture by R.K.S. Bhadauria.