International

The United States has initiated a Section 301 investigation into India’s labour practices, questioning whether India has ratified key International Labour Organization (ILO) treaties related to the future of work. Indian negotiators will hold talks with the US next week to address the concerns. This article explains what Section 301 investigation means, the role of ILO treaties, India’s position on labour standards, implications for bilateral trade and all basic technical concepts behind the probe.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker, on the latter’s maiden visit to India, jointly called for a rules-based international order to achieve lasting peace amid conflicts in West Asia, Ukraine and Gaza. Both leaders emphasised that military solutions cannot resolve global problems. This article explains the key outcomes of the bilateral summit, the meaning of rules-based order, India’s consistent diplomatic stand, the significance of this high-level European visit and all basic concepts of international peace and diplomacy.

At the Japan-convened AZEC Plus meeting on energy resilience, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar strongly called for safe and unimpeded maritime transit, terming attacks on merchant shipping “completely unacceptable”. Amid the ongoing Strait of Hormuz disruptions, India reiterated its commitment to open energy supply chains and supply chain resilience. This article explains the AZEC Plus meeting, what unimpeded transit means under international law, India’s energy security concerns, Japan’s new POWERR Asia initiative and the broader implications of the West Asia conflict on global shipping.

Iran has carried out attacks on multiple energy facilities in the Gulf, hitting a major petrochemical plant in the UAE’s Ruwais area, two units in Bahrain and several facilities in Kuwait. At the same time, Israel launched strikes on southern suburbs of Beirut and other areas in Lebanon. These developments mark a dangerous new phase in the ongoing war, directly targeting energy infrastructure and raising fears of even bigger disruptions in global oil and gas supplies.

OPEC+ members met virtually on Sunday and agreed to increase their collective oil output quotas by 206,000 barrels per day for the month of May. This is a modest rise on paper, but actual production cannot increase much because of the ongoing US-Israel war with Iran that has completely shut the Strait of Hormuz. The decision comes amid the worst-ever disruption in global oil supply and rising concerns about attacks on energy assets. Crude oil prices have already climbed to a four-year high near $120 per barrel.

The Indian-flagged LPG tanker Green Asha successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz on April 5, becoming the eighth India-flagged merchant vessel to do so since early March 2026. Carrying around 20,000 tonnes of LPG, the transit comes amid the ongoing US-Iran conflict that has restricted shipping through this vital chokepoint. After its departure, 16 India-flagged vessels are now present in the Persian Gulf, showing India’s continued efforts to keep LPG supplies flowing despite the restrictions.

US special forces successfully rescued the second crew member of a downed F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet from a remote mountain area inside Iran after the aircraft was shot down on April 3. President Donald Trump announced the high-risk mission and, in strong social media posts, warned Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday or face severe strikes on its power plants and infrastructure. In response to the fast-moving crisis, Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi called India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on April 5 to discuss the current situation in West Asia.

The month-long war between the US, Israel and Iran entered a dangerous new phase on March 28, 2026, when Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen launched ballistic missiles at Israel for the first time since the conflict began. Israel intercepted the missiles, but the attack opened a third front and raised fears of wider disruption to Red Sea shipping. At the same time, an Iranian strike on a US base in Saudi Arabia injured 12 American service personnel. In a separate development, India sent 38,000 metric tonnes of fuel (20,000 MT diesel and 18,000 MT petrol) to crisis-hit Sri Lanka to help ease severe shortages caused by global oil price spikes from the conflict.

On March 28, 2026, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chaired the first meeting of the newly formed Informal Group of Ministers (IGoM) in New Delhi to review the evolving situation in West Asia and its impact on India. The IGoM was set up under the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to monitor the conflict involving Iran, Israel and the US, and to prepare for any challenges. Singh emphasised adopting a medium to long-term preparedness strategy, swift decision-making, and coordinated efforts to counter rumours, misinformation and fake news about the conflict’s effects on India.

On January 3, 2026, the United States conducted a military strike in Venezuela, leading to the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro on drug trafficking charges. President Donald Trump invoked the 1823 Monroe Doctrine to justify the action, rebranding it as the "Donroe Doctrine" in the US National Security Strategy released in December 2025. This marks a bold reassertion of US dominance in the Western Hemisphere, aimed at countering foreign influences like China and Russia, sparking international condemnation and debates on sovereignty and great power competition.

The United States has eased some sanctions on Venezuela, allowing American companies like Chevron to increase imports of its heavy crude oil. This move, highlighted in recent reports, aims to match the needs of US Gulf Coast refineries while keeping global oil prices stable amid rising domestic production of light oil. Venezuela, with the world's largest heavy oil reserves, is seeing a revival in exports to the US after years of restrictions, signaling a pragmatic shift in US energy policy in 2026.

Newly appointed US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, announced during his first address at the US Embassy in New Delhi that India will be invited as a full member to the US-led Pax Silica initiative next month. This comes just a month after India was initially left out, signaling a positive shift in bilateral relations. Gor also highlighted the strong personal friendship between US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, mentioned his own direct connections to the White House, and noted upcoming trade talks on January 13 to resolve ongoing issues, all aimed at strengthening cooperation in technology, security, and economy amid global geopolitical tensions.