War temporarily withdrawn, fear remains

The repeated attacks between Iran and Israel after a two-month ceasefire have plunged the Middle East into a state of heightened tension. There is relief as both countries have temporarily withdrawn after a heated confrontation. Iran said it is temporarily halting attacks and will resume if Israel attacks Lebanon. Iran attacked an Israeli air base in response to Israel's attacks on Hezbollah targets in the Lebanese capital, Beirut.

In response, Israel attacked a petrochemical plant in Iran. With this, Iran also launched a counterattack on the Israeli petrochemical plant. When the situation seemed to be getting out of hand, US President Donald Trump intervened and appealed to both countries to stop the war.

Meanwhile, an oil tanker was also attacked off the coast of Oman. All 24 Indian sailors on board the burning ship were rescued. India has expressed strong concern over the renewed conflict. The embassies have also warned Indians in Iran and Israel to be vigilant. Those in Iran should try to leave Iran through available means, the embassy said in a statement.

The war in the Middle East is not just about two or three countries. Other countries, including India, are facing major economic crises due to fuel shortages and other troubles blockading global supply. The US and Israel launched the attack on Iran a hundred days ago. In the first few days, they managed to assassinate Iran's supreme leader and head of the Shia sect, Ayatollah Khamenei. The US thought that this would lead to regime change in Iran and that the country would surrender. Things didn't go according to plan as Iran fought with increased vigour and launched missile attacks on US military bases in the Gulf and cities in Israel.

Trump, who initially said that he would not end the war with anything other than regime change, is now following a criminal silence. Moreover, he has openly said that Israel is the obstacle to ending the war. The United States suffered heavy economic losses in the war. Iran and Israel have also suffered huge material losses. Due to the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, the prices of cooking gas and other fuels are soaring in all the countries of West Asia. The sooner the war ends, the better the world will become. Since the negotiations are being held under the mediation of Pakistan, there is no certainty on when things will return to normalcy in the Middle East.