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U.S. President Donald Trump hosted his Chinese counterpart in Washington on September 23-25, marking the second meeting between the leaders of the world’s two largest economies this year. The summit was high on symbolism, with Mr. Trump welcoming the Chinese leader on the tarmac of Joint Base Andrews. Later, at a state dinner, Mr. Trump said the leaders had “never gotten along better”. While the U.S. side placed considerable emphasis on the personal chemistry between the leaders and both parties agreed to hold more high-level meetings, there were few tangible outcomes on the structural issues that continue to strain the relationship. 

The summit took place against the backdrop of two conflicts–in Ukraine and Iran– as well as a continuing trade dispute between the U.S. and China. Beijing has a close strategic partnership with Russia, whose invasion of Ukraine has entered its fifth year. China also remains the largest trading and economic partner of Iran, which was bombed by the U.S. and Israel on February 28, 2026. American policymakers want China to distance itself from both Russia and Iran. Earlier this month, Mr. Trump signed the Russia sanctions Bill into law, giving him powers to impose tariffs up to 100% on countries that buy oil and gas from Russia. But China has shown no signs that it is reconsidering its relations with Russia and Iran. On trade, the U.S. and China agreed to extend the existing detente by two more months, but tensions remain beneath the surface. For Beijing, as it has made clear repeatedly, Taiwan and the U.S. support for the island remain the brightest of its red lines. 

Yet, despite their disagreements and the challenges confronting the relationship, Washington and Beijing seem determined to manage their ties without allowing tensions to escalate into conflict. To understand this evolving recalibration – its context and substance – I spoke to Ananth Krishnan, The Hindu’s correspondent in China and the author of India’s China Challenge. Here is what he had to say:

What’s your key takeaway from the Trump-Xi meeting?

Ananth Krishnan: The visit definitely seemed to be more about pomp and symbolism than substance. The optics were no doubt striking, starting with Trump receiving Xi at the airport. Both leaders were also effusive in their praise of the other. One striking fact is the frequency of their meetings. They agreed to meet two more times this year at APEC in Shenzhen and at the G20 in Miami. Clearly, both sides see this frequency of four meetings in one year, including Trump’s May visit to China, as key to sustaining this current effort at stability.

A key takeaway for me is how much the U.S. appears to have bought into China’s idea of what both sides now call a “constructive relationship of strategic stability based on fairness and reciprocity”. This may sound vague and unimportant, especially as the other concrete outcomes on trade were rather modest, limited to just an extension of their current truce. But below the surface, to me it hints at a new equilibrium and at an effort by both to better manage their rivalry, even if they can’t solve outstanding issues.

How does China look at ties with the U.S. under Trump? G2, strategic stability or just managing the competition?

Ananth Krishnan: Publicly at least, Chinese officials disavow the idea of a G2. Privately, they certainly look at China and the U.S. as being in a league of their own, and perhaps understandably so. I would say they look at the relationship as a blend of two of the latter terms you suggested – a certainly competitive relationship that needs to be managed, and an aspiration of some kind of strategic stability that sees red lines protected. For China, the biggest red line, of course, is Taiwan. What has changed perhaps is how this competitive relationship is seen.

I found interesting what Da Wei, who’s a leading voice in Beijing on China-US relations, argued in his recent Foreign Affairs essay, where he said China was looking at the relationship “from a position of greater equality and with more confidence” and was “less anxious that competition will undermine its national development prospects”. I don’t think they are under any illusion that this visit will solve the serious structural problems in a fundamentally competitive relationship, with unresolved issues from semiconductors to rare earths. But the last few years have, however, appeared to have given China greater confidence in how they manage it. 

What does this new equilibrium mean for India? In this editorial, published on September 28, The Hindu argues that New Delhi should carefully watch the evolving great power relationship. “The recent U.S. tariff threats aimed at India have offered a stark contrast to the measured language with which Washington has been engaging Beijing. For long, a strand of Indian strategic thinking has been predicated on the assumption that U.S. strategy in the region was centred on the idea of a relationship with India as a bulwark against Chinese influence. That assumption increasingly appears open to question.”

U.S.-Greenland deal 

Mr. Trump’s threat to take over Greenland, an ice-covered Danish territory located between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean, had strained the transatlantic relationship earlier this year. Greenland, Denmark and America’s European allies had pushed back against the U.S. leader. But under the shadow of the takeover threat, officials from the U.S., Denmark and Greenland continued talks to reach a diplomatic agreement acceptable to all sides. That agreement was signed last week in New York, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

Under the agreement, the U.S. would respect Danish sovereignty and Greenlanders’ right to self-determination, but would boost its military presence on the island and would have a say in its economic and investment policies. Why does the U.S., which already has a military agreement with Denmark for troop presence in Greenland, want to tighten its control over the Arctic island? Read this explainer: The Arctic race.

Published – September 28, 2026 12:36 pm IST

Mojtaba Khamenei. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

There was a moment in the second half of the Asian Games kabaddi gold-medal match against Iran when Aslam Inamdar made a daring raid deep into the opposition half.

His teammate Pawan Sehrawat groaned inwardly as he did so. India’s lead was narrow. Iran was still in the contest. It was a risk that could have gone badly wrong. “It was a bad decision,” Pawan would say later. But Inamdar made the dash count, securing two touches and emerging unscathed. The points brought India closer to victory. “It was a wrong move, but ant bhala toh sab bhala (if the end is good, it’s all worth it),” Inamdar said after the match.

He grinned when he recalled the sequence later. It had been a tough decision to make. Wasn’t he worried when he made that move? What would have happened if it had gone wrong? “Bhai, I’ve gone through things you wouldn’t even imagine. This is nothing,” he said.

That, in many ways, is the story of Aslam Inamdar.

There was a time when, as a 14-year-old, he travelled across Maharashtra in search of kabaddi tournaments without even having enough money for a train ticket. He slept under train seats, survived on stale vada pav or whatever food was available at tournaments. He sometimes stuffed leftover food which often spilled into his bag. “If there was work to be done, I did it. I’ve cleaned toilets. I’ve sold juice and made tea. I’ve worked in fields. If there was a kabaddi tournament to play, I found a way to get there.”

In Nagoya on Saturday, Inamdar stood on the mat as India beat Iran to win the men’s kabaddi gold. It is his second Asian Games gold medal. The distance between those two versions of Inamdar is difficult even for him to comprehend.

“It still feels like a dream to me,” he said. “I often think about how someone who didn’t even have food at home holds two international medals.”

The medals are the latest chapter in a journey that began at Takli Bhan in Maharashtra’s Ahilyanagar district, where Inamdar grew up as one of five children.

His father passed away when he was young, leaving his mother to raise the family. She worked in other homes, doing household chores and washing utensils, to keep the family going. Later, his elder brother Waseem joined the police force and took responsibility, including helping arrange the marriages of their two sisters.

Money was scarce. Inamdar remembers growing up in a house without proper flooring or roof. There were times when even food was difficult to come by.

So, he learnt early that work meant survival. At 11 or 12, he collected discarded bottles and sold them to scrap dealers to buy food. Later, he worked at tea stalls and juice bars, washed utensils, cleaned washrooms and worked in farm fields. He admits he stole sometimes. “It was just to fill my stomach. I faced many hard situations without letting them break me,” he said.

Through all of it, there was one constant: kabaddi. Waseem was a well-known player across several districts while senior player Rahul Bhor also inspired him. Inamdar wanted to establish his own identity. “No matter how long I worked during the day or night, I always went to the ground to train,” the raider said.

Kabaddi was a sport he could afford. It required little equipment, and the village ground was enough. For a boy with very little money, it offered something priceless: a chance. By the time he was 14 or 15, Inamdar was travelling alone to tournaments to compete in the 50kg and 55kg categories. He earned between ₹200 and ₹500 a match.

The money was little, but it mattered. It bought him meals when he might otherwise have gone hungry. More importantly, it kept him moving from one tournament to the next.

The path was neither smooth nor uninterrupted. In 2014, while India competed at the Asian Games, Inamdar was at home nursing a fractured leg and following kabaddi on television. His life at the time seemed a world away from an international career. “I was just watching kabaddi on TV. But I believe God’s plans are always better. My hard work never stopped.”

He kept working. Eventually, the Pro Kabaddi League changed the scale of his life.

In his first season, he earned ₹8 lakh. For someone who had once struggled to put food on the table, the money was almost incomprehensible. “Eight lakh felt like eight crore to me,” he said.

He did not forget where he had come from. With his first major earnings, he bought a gold necklace for his mother. Kabaddi had given him something that had once seemed almost impossible: financial security, recognition and a career. He went on to captain Puneri Paltan and establish himself as one of India’s leading players.

Then came the international medals. Inamdar won his first Asian Games gold in Hangzhou. Three years later in Nagoya, he has another. And once again, the final was against Iran — the one opponent which has consistently pushed India hardest at the Asian Games. “Iran is generally the most challenging opponent for us,” Inamdar said. “It has a strong defence and has very experienced players like Fazel Atrachali, who played in his fifth Asian Games.”

For Inamdar, beating such a formidable opponent made the gold more meaningful. “A tough challenge makes winning the gold medal feel even more rewarding.”

But for Inamdar, the significance of the medal lies beyond the result. It is the culmination of a journey that began when he was a boy travelling across Maharashtra for a few hundred rupees, when he collected scrap bottles for food and worked whatever jobs he could find before heading to the kabaddi ground.

Today, he tries to pass on that experience to younger players.

At his training ground in Thane, he speaks to juniors, particularly those from underprivileged backgrounds, about his own journey. He wants them to understand that difficult circumstances do not have to determine where they end up. “I want young, underprivileged players to dream big and aim to achieve even more than I have. I want them to know that whatever happens, they shouldn’t stop working hard. They shouldn’t stop believing,” he said.

Published – September 28, 2026 07:07 am IST

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian holds up photographs as he delivers remarks during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, on September 23, 2026.
| Photo Credit: AP

Hundreds of thousands of Iranians rallied Friday (September 18, 2026) in a government-organised show of defiance after months of war, pledging their readiness to take up arms in the biggest such demonstration since the United States and Israel attacked in February.

Iran’s government has sought to rally the people and stress national unity, even as the economy worsens under a U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports and new U.S. sanctions. On Friday (September 18, 2026), it claimed another attack on a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway it has sought to control since the start of the war.

Estimates varied on the number of people volunteering to receive limited military training and defend the country in an effort described as “Janfaday-e Iran,” or the “ones who sacrifice their lives for Iran.” They marched through downtown Tehran in combat uniform, carrying flags, as onlookers cheered.

For days, state media have encouraged Iranians to join the campaign, saying training with assault rifles would begin soon. The volunteers would be an additional layer of security for the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and the Basij militia, which has played a key role in quashing anti-government protests.

Bogged down: On the U.S.-Iran conflict escalation

Tehran’s Guard chief, Gen. Hassan Hassanzadeh, told the state broadcaster that over 600,000 people had registered to participate, with over 1 million expected to take part in the training. On Friday morning (September 18, 2026), the broadcaster estimated over 300,000 people were on the streets.

The new head of the Basij, Hossein Taeb, declared in a speech as the rally began that the volunteers will be ready for “full-fledged defense” and similar rallies will take place in other cities soon.

The new trainees will make a “nightmare” for Iran’s enemies, Taeb added, as President Masoud Pezeshkian, military commanders and other senior officials watched the march.

Some participants trampled flags of the U.S. and Israel. Others chanted “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.”

“I am here to tell [U.S. President Donald] Trump that we Iranians have no fear of his threats against our homeland,” said Marzieh Afaghi, 24, who attended the rally with her toddler and husband. “No one in history could invade Iran and remain there.”

The rally was also a chance for Iran to show off military hardware. Anti-aircraft batteries were on display, while female Guard members in black headscarves sat with truck-mounted machine guns.

The Guard displayed drones that have been used against ships in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran’s attacks and threats have severely affected the Gulf region’s shipments of oil and natural gas to the rest of the world.

Iran said it had attacked a Togo-flagged oil tanker, the Trend, for what it called an “illegal attempt” to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the state broadcaster reported. The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations centre said a tanker was hit by a projectile, sparking a fire on board that was extinguished.

The UKMTO, in a separate update, said ship transits facilitated by the U.S. military off Oman have averaged 24 a day over the past week but overall traffic remains about 90% lower than before the war.

Friday’s (September 18, 2026) events also suggested that hard-liners like Taeb among Iran’s leadership will be more prepared to suppress any future demonstration against the theocracy.

In January, shortly before the war, Iran saw some of its largest nationwide protests in history, which began over the struggling economy and turned into wider grievances. Activists have said a crackdown killed over 7,000 people and saw tens of thousands detained.

In May, government officials said more than 30 million people in Iran — which has a total population of some 90 million — had volunteered via an online form or at public gatherings to lay down their lives for the theocracy. The Associated Press could not independently confirm that.

Published – September 18, 2026 10:15 pm IST

India forged a consensus of BRICS countries on Saturday (September 12, 2026), after Iran and the United Arab Emirates agreed to a last-minute compromise on the language used about the war in West Asia, allowing the 11-member grouping to adopt the New Delhi Declaration at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Also Read: BRICS 2026 beyond the Declaration: An Indian feast, Bollywood tunes by the Malaysian PM, and more

The statement — that did not directly mention the attacks against Iran by the United States and Israel nor Iran’s subsequent strikes on its Persian Gulf neighbours, including the UAE — called for “maximum restraint” in the war. It made no separate mention of the Russian war in Ukraine.  

The meeting was attended by the leaders of eight member countries, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and the leaders of Indonesia, Ethiopia, Egypt, and South Africa. Brazil and the UAE sent high-level representatives. 

‘Not against anyone’

Addressing the leaders, Mr. Modi said that 20 years after the grouping of emerging economies was originally formed, BRICS was “coming of age” with a “distinct identity” not aimed against others on the global stage. 

“We respect each other’s perspectives and move forward through consensus. We strive to move ahead with an approach that is not against anyone but instead seeks to take everyone along,” the Prime Minister said, in a possible reference to the criticism of BRICS in the U.S. as an “anti-western” grouping.

Mr. Modi suggested that BRICS build a “troika” system like the G-20, so incoming and outgoing Presidents of the grouping bring continuity to discussions. He also proposed a roadmap for global governance reform, a seafarer distress network, and a BRICS global south mechanism for skill development in new technologies.  The New Delhi declaration called for “comprehensive reform” of the United Nations, including support for Brazil and India to get a bigger role in the Security Council.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, who held an hour-long bilateral meeting with Mr. Modi after the session, announced that China would take over the presidency of BRICS for the next year. The grouping had become the “world’s most influential platform for cooperation among emerging markets and developing countries,” he said.

Delicate diplomacy

The joint declaration also called for the protection of civilians and expressed “deep concern” over attacks on civilian infrastructure and nuclear facilities in West Asia, in a reference to the U.S. and Israel’s missile strikes in Iran.

The paragraphs on the war in Iran took delicate diplomacy by Indian negotiators at “various levels”, said officials, and was forged after overnight negotiations and talks between Mr. Modi and the leaders of Iran, Russia, and the UAE. In a rare diplomatic breakthrough, Iran’s President, Mr. Pezeshkian met with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Khaled bin Mohamed Al Nahyan on the sidelines of the summit at Delhi’s Bharat Mandapam official venue. 

Strong criticism of Israel

Significantly, given India’s close ties with Israel and Mr. Modi’s own visit to Jerusalem in February, the grouping declared its strong criticism of Israel for its bombardment of Gaza. It expressed support for South Africa’s case against Israel in international courts, calling for the provision of humanitarian aid in Gaza, where more than 70,000 civilians are believed to have been killed.

In addition, it supported a two-state solution for Palestine, with full rights at the UN, 1967 borders, and East Jerusalem as its capital. In an extended 8-paragraph reference to Israeli actions, it slammed the “forced displacement, temporary or permanent, under any pretext, of any of the Palestinian population from the Occupied Palestinian Territory”.  

It also criticised the U.S. blockade of Cuba, and expressed concern over violence in Sudan. 

On economic issues, the BRICS countries resolved to increase intra-BRICS trade and payments in national currencies. Taking aim at the U.S. for its tariffs and western countries for their unilateral sanctions, the joint statement said that BRICS countries “condemned the imposition of unilateral coercive measures that are contrary to international law”.  

Compromise and consensus

Previous ministerial meetings of BRICS this year had failed to issue joint statements on the Iran-UAE tussle. Sources privy to the negotiations said that Iran had wanted a strong condemnation of the U.S. and Israel for starting the war with strikes that assassinated its Supreme Leader, similar to the statement issued by the SCO grouping, which does not include the UAE. The UAE wanted “equal condemnation” of Iran’s attacks against its neighbours. Eventually, the text agreed to included non-specific references to the conflict. 

The consensus was achieved through months of “threadbare” discussions, according to Sudhakar Dalela, Indian Sherpa at the talks and Secretary (Economic Relations) in the Ministry of External Affairs. He was addressing a media briefing after the closed BRICS session on the future of global governance and strengthening multilateralism. Side-stepping a question from The Hindu on whether India had asked for support from other leaders in BRICS to help convince Iran and UAE to agree to the draft language, he said that the cooperation and collaboration of all members was “key”.

“In preparation of the BRICS summit, we have been discussing the Middle East situation (West Asia) for some time. In a grouping where members have diverse experiences, it is important to allow members to have a shared forum, and within that framework to build consensus,” Mr. Dalela said. He also underlined BRICS countries’ consensus against cross-border terrorism, with a specif reference to the Pahalgam terror attack in 2025. 

On Sunday, Mr. Modi will chair a session of BRICS Plus countries and regional representatives for an outreach session that will include the leaders of Malaysia, Uzbekistan, Uganda, Vietnam, and Kazakhstan. 

Published – September 12, 2026 11:29 pm IST

The U.S. military said it destroyed five Iranian oil tankers on Tuesday (September 8, 2026) in response to the latest attacks on its warships, and Tehran hit back at American targets in Jordan, the latest burst of back-and-forth strikes that have lurched the sides back toward open hostilities in a more than six-month-old war.

Following the American strikes, Iran launched missiles toward U.S. targets in Jordan, Iranian state-run media said.

Jordan’s military said its air defence systems intercepted 18 ballistic missiles launched toward its territory and two others fell in places where no one lives.

It said it has no reports of casualties. Jordan is a staunch U.S. ally that hosts American forces, making the kingdom’s military bases a target of repeated Iranian strikes. U.S. Central Command said it had no information to offer.

The latest strikes are part of a dual economic and military approach by President Donald Trump as he struggles to bring an end to the war.

The Trump administration on Tuesday (September 8, 2026) also imposed sanctions on additional elements of Iran’s aviation industry, targeting more than two dozen commercial and private airlines as well as foreign cargo service providers, in its new push to isolate Tehran from its remaining trading partners.

Both the U.S. and Iran are seeking to exert control over the Strait of Hormuz, where about one-fifth of the world’s oil passed before the war began. Rising energy prices are posing political problems for Mr. Trump and his Republican Party ahead of the November midterm elections. A barrel of international standard Brent crude briefly climbed as high as $99.46 on Tuesday (September 8, 2026).

The U.S. forces also destroyed three Iranian oil tankers on Saturday (September 5, 2026) after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards tried to attack a U.S. aircraft carrier and destroyer with ballistic missiles, warning that it would, “if necessary, destroy Iran’s limited and exposed oil fleet”.

Iran later said it planned to announce a new “exclusion zone” near the Strait of Hormuz aimed at vessels intending to transit.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. will not allow Iran’s attacks to go unanswered.

“Iran continues to try to hit U.S. naval ships. And for every time they do that or try to do that, they’re going to lose tankers. And I think you’ll see that again today,” Mr. Rubio told reporters on Tuesday (September 8, 2026) when asked about the latest attacks in Iran while on a trip to Colombia.

Danny Citrinowicz, an Iran expert at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, warned that such back-and-forth strikes can only risk more retaliation and further impact on the global economy.

“There is no kinetic solution to the Strait of Hormuz problem,” he said on social media. “Every attempt to impose one only brings Washington and Tehran closer to an escalation that may become increasingly difficult to control.” U.S. Central Command said the military struck the tankers on Tuesday (September 8, 2026) after the Revolutionary Guards targeted a Navy warship with ballistic missiles twice over the past two days.

“The U.S. warship successfully evaded the attempted Iranian attacks and continued to patrol regional waters. No American personnel were harmed,” it said in a statement.

It said the Iranian tankers destroyed on Tuesday (September 8, 2026) were the Kivik, Charminar, Horizon 1 and the Riesco in the Gulf of Oman. The U.S. military also destroyed the vessel Derya, which was located near Kharg Island in the Strait of Hormuz. The statement said the crews of the five vessels were told to abandon ship before the attacks.

Iranian state television also reported the U.S. strikes, saying U.S. forces attacked Iranian oil tankers near the southern port of Jask and near Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf. It said the crews were evacuated.

An Iranian state TV reporter in Jask said an Iranian tanker was struck near the coast of Yekbeni. State TV later reported that the U.S. military attacked a second tanker near waters off Jask. Separately, state television reported that another Iranian tanker was attacked in the Kharg Island anchorage area.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Navy on Tuesday (September 8, 2026) warned crews of oil tankers near ports in Kuwait and Bahrain to immediately leave their vessels, saying the ships could be targeted in retaliation for US attacks on Iranian tankers. It accused Kuwait and Bahrain of hosting US forces and assisting in the attacks.

A U.S. blockade of Iranian ports has squeezed the country’s economy by limiting its oil exports, while the American military has been helping a limited number of ships transit on a route through the Strait of Hormuz off Oman. Tehran wants ships to follow a route that it chooses through the strait, which was considered an international waterway before the war.

Iran’s Guards attacks 2 US vessels, 8 tankers, 10 ships in Gulf, Strait of Hormuz

Iran’s Revolutionary ​Guards said ‌on Wednesday (September 9, 2026) they ​attacked ⁠two U.S. vessels and eight ‌oil tankers in the ‌Gulf ‌in ⁠response ⁠to what they called a ​U.S. ‌attack on five Iranian tankers, Iranian state ‌media reported, ​citing a statement from the ⁠group.

The group said ‌it attacked 10 ships attempting to cross ‌what it described as ​a “prohibited and unsafe” ⁠area of the ⁠Strait of Hormuz.

Published – September 09, 2026 09:47 am IST

Activists accuse Iran of using capital punishment as a means to intimidate the population in the wake of the protests and the war against the United States and Israel that erupted on February 28. File
| Photo Credit: AP