United States President Donald Trump on Sunday rejected Iran's latest proposal to end the West Asia conflict, declaring it entirely unacceptable, even as oil prices surged nearly three per cent on Monday amid fears that the diplomatic impasse could escalate into open confrontation.

Without elaborating on the specifics of Tehran's offer, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform: "I just read the response from those who purport to represent Iran. I don't like it — it is not acceptable in any way." The blunt dismissal came shortly after Iranian state media outlined the broad contours of what Tehran had proposed.

What Iran Sought

According to Iran's state-run news agency Tasnim, Tehran's proposals included compensation for damages suffered during the conflict, a lifting of the naval blockade on its ports, a binding American assurance against further strikes, removal of sanctions, and an end to the embargo on Iranian oil sales. Iran also demanded the release of Iranian assets frozen in international banks under American pressure, and sought guarantees for safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, as well as security arrangements in Lebanon.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ismail Baghaei defended the proposals as reasonable and responsible. "Our demands are legitimate. We called for an end to the war, the lifting of the blockade, a halt to maritime piracy, and the release of frozen Iranian assets," he said, adding that safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz and broader regional security arrangements were also among Tehran's conditions.

Hormuz Tensions and Oil Markets

With negotiations deadlocked following Trump's rejection, the Strait of Hormuz — a critical chokepoint through which a significant share of global oil supplies passes — came under renewed strain. Iran has warned that it would retaliate if the United States launches strikes, and has signalled that foreign warships may no longer be permitted to enter the strait. The resulting uncertainty sent crude oil prices sharply higher on Monday, with markets registering a rise of approximately three per cent.

Trump's China Visit from Wednesday

Against this backdrop of West Asian tensions, Trump is scheduled to travel to China on Wednesday for a three-day visit — his first trip to the country since 2017. He is expected to hold meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday and Friday, with the agenda likely to include discussions on Iran, Taiwan, artificial intelligence, and nuclear weapons.

American officials indicated that the two leaders may also take up the extension of an existing critical minerals agreement between the two countries. The visit marks the first face-to-face talks between the leaders of the world's two largest economies in six months, and comes at a time when both nations are seeking to recalibrate trade ties strained by tariff disputes.

Americans Billed for Unbuilt Power Projects

In a separate development, millions of American consumers are being charged for electricity grid upgrades that have not yet been completed — and whose benefits remain years away. As ageing grid infrastructure prompts policymakers to accelerate modernisation, utilities across the United States are being permitted to bill customers in advance of the construction of new power plants and transmission lines, according to a Reuters report.

The move is being justified on the grounds that upfront financing will yield long-term savings, but households and businesses already grappling with elevated energy costs are set to see their bills rise further. Demand for grid upgrades has intensified amid the rapid expansion of data centres driven by artificial intelligence, adding urgency to the overhaul. Critics, however, argue that utilities should recover construction costs only after projects are completed, rather than passing financial risk on to consumers during the building phase. Individual household bills could rise by several dollars per month as a result of the pre-construction charges.

NEW DELHI — As the conflict in West Asia continues to send shockwaves across global markets and supply chains, India's top leadership swung into action on Friday, convening the first meeting of a specially constituted Informal Group of Ministers to assess the crisis and chart a coordinated national response.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chaired the high-powered gathering at Kartavya Bhawan-2 in New Delhi on March 28, 2026 — bringing together some of the most powerful cabinet ministers in the Modi government around a single urgent agenda: protecting India and its people from the far-reaching consequences of a conflict unfolding thousands of kilometres away.

A Cabinet of Heavy Hitters

The composition of the Informal Group of Ministers — known as the IGoM — left no doubt about the seriousness with which the government is treating the West Asia situation.

Seated around the table were Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Power Minister Manohar Lal, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda, Consumer Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi, Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, and Science and Technology Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh.

It was a gathering that covered virtually every sector of the Indian economy likely to feel the impact of the West Asia conflict — from fuel and energy to food supply, aviation, and industrial chemicals. The message was clear: this government is treating the crisis as a whole-of-government challenge, not a problem to be managed by any single ministry.

Rajnath Singh Sets the Tone

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh used his opening address to set a tone of calm urgency — acknowledging the seriousness of the situation while projecting confidence in India's ability to navigate it.

He emphasised the need for a proactive, coordinated, and forward-looking approach — stressing that vigilance must be maintained as the situation in West Asia continues to evolve in unpredictable ways. His guidance to the group was specific and demanding: adopt a medium to long-term preparedness approach, maintain high-level coordination across ministries, and ensure swift decision-making when the situation demands it.

"All policy efforts should remain in synergy and be implemented in a time-bound manner," Singh told the assembled ministers — a directive that reflects the government's awareness that fragmented or delayed responses could amplify the impact of an already serious global disruption.

In a post on X following the meeting, the Defence Minister made the government's commitment explicit and personal. "The Government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is committed to safeguarding the Indian people from any impact of the conflict," he wrote — words clearly intended to reassure a public already anxious about rising fuel prices, rumours of shortages, and the spectre of broader economic disruption.

Seven Empowered Groups Brief the Ministers

The meeting was not a general discussion. It was a structured, data-driven review of India's sectoral vulnerabilities and the policy measures already deployed to address them.

Seven Empowered Groups of Secretaries — senior bureaucrats tasked with monitoring specific sectors — made detailed presentations to the IGoM, outlining the key issues identified in their respective areas and the concrete steps already taken to manage the situation.

The breadth of the presentations underscored the multi-dimensional nature of the challenge. The West Asia conflict touches virtually every pillar of the Indian economy — oil and gas supplies, fertilizer imports, shipping routes, aviation connectivity, food prices, and industrial supply chains. Each Empowered Group was directed to continue close monitoring of developments and to maintain the high-level coordination that the current moment demands.

Rajnath Singh called for constructive inputs from all ministers present — a signal that the IGoM intends to function as a genuine deliberative body, drawing on the expertise and perspective of each ministry rather than operating as a top-down directive mechanism.

States and Districts Brought Into the Loop

One of the most significant decisions to emerge from Saturday's meeting was the IGoM's reaffirmation of the critical importance of coordination with state governments and district administrations.

The crisis, the group recognised, will ultimately be felt not in the corridors of Kartavya Bhawan but in petrol stations, kitchens, hospital supply chains, and local markets across India's cities, towns, and villages. Effective management of the situation therefore requires that state and district administrations are kept fully informed, properly equipped, and capable of responding swiftly to developments on the ground.

The need for timely communication of key policy initiatives to the public was also underscored — a recognition that how the government communicates during a crisis can be as important as what it actually does.

Declaring War on Rumours and Fake News

Perhaps the most operationally significant directive to emerge from Saturday's meeting was a direct instruction to all ministries and departments regarding the management of information.

Every ministry and department has been directed to share relevant information, developments, and advisories related to the ongoing West Asia situation through the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting's WhatsApp Channel — creating a single, authoritative, government-verified stream of information accessible to citizens across the country.

The objective is twofold: to ensure that accurate, timely information reaches the public, and to actively counter the rumours, misinformation, and fake news that have already begun to circulate on social media — causing panic buying at petrol pumps, anxiety over LPG supplies, and confusion over government policy.

The directive reflects a hard lesson that governments around the world have learned from recent crises: in the age of social media, the information battle can be as consequential as the policy battle. A government that wins on policy but loses on communication will still face a crisis of public confidence.

India's Strategic Posture

Saturday's IGoM meeting represents more than a bureaucratic response to a distant conflict. It represents a deliberate strategic posture — one that says India is watching, India is prepared, and India will act to protect its people and its economy from shocks that originate beyond its borders but land within them.

The formation of the IGoM itself — bringing together defence, finance, energy, food, aviation, and science ministers under a single coordinating umbrella — reflects a sophisticated understanding of how modern conflicts cascade through interconnected global systems. The West Asia conflict is not just a military event. It is an energy event, a supply chain event, a food security event, and a financial market event — all simultaneously.

India's response, Saturday's meeting signalled, will be equally multi-dimensional.

With Prime Minister Modi personally engaged in monitoring the situation, and a cabinet-level group now meeting regularly to track developments and coordinate responses, the government is positioning itself to stay ahead of the curve — rather than react to it.

The first IGoM meeting is done. It will not be the last.

The Informal Group of Ministers on West Asia was constituted to monitor the evolving situation and recommend proactive measures. Further meetings are expected as the situation develops.

HYDERABAD — Union Minister for Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the Telangana state government, demanding an immediate reduction in Value Added Tax on petrol and diesel — pointing out that Telangana levies the highest VAT on fuel anywhere in the country, even as the central government moves decisively to shield citizens from rising oil prices triggered by the Israel-America-Iran war.

Addressing a press conference at CGI Towers in Hyderabad, Kishan Reddy outlined the measures taken by the central government to ensure adequate supplies of LPG, petrol, and diesel across Telangana — while simultaneously putting the state government firmly on the spot over its fuel tax policy.

Telangana Charges Highest VAT in India

The numbers Kishan Reddy placed before the public were stark and difficult to dispute.

Telangana has been levying VAT at 35.20 percent on petrol and diesel — the highest rate in the entire country — for the past twelve consecutive years. Not once in that period, the minister pointed out, has the state government seen fit to reduce this burden on its citizens by even a single paisa.

The contrast with neighbouring states makes the figure even harder to justify. Andhra Pradesh levies VAT at 31 percent. Karnataka charges 29 percent. Maharashtra imposes just 26 percent. Yet Telangana — governed first by the BRS and now by the Congress — has maintained its 35.20 percent rate without revision.

"Why is Telangana levying 35.20 percent when neighbouring states charge significantly less?" Kishan Reddy demanded. "Why has this not been reduced? The Congress party beats the drum about KCR's people-friendly governance — but in twelve years, not one paisa of VAT has been cut. Reduce it now."

The minister's challenge was direct and unambiguous — and it placed the Telangana government in an uncomfortable position at a time when fuel prices are already under pressure from global conflict.

Centre Acts to Cushion Global Oil Price Shock

Kishan Reddy made clear that the central government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has moved proactively to protect Indian citizens from the price shocks rippling out of the Middle East conflict.

With the Israel-America-Iran war disrupting global oil markets and pushing crude prices upward, the central government has reduced excise duty on petrol and diesel — a direct intervention designed to prevent pump prices from spiralling out of control.

The minister urged state governments across the country to follow the centre's lead by cutting their own VAT rates — reducing the cumulative tax burden on fuel and passing the benefit directly to consumers. Telangana, he made clear, has the most room to move — and the most obligation to act.

Ample Stocks — No Need for Panic

Turning to address growing public anxiety over fuel availability, Kishan Reddy was reassuring and categorical.

Telangana has abundant stocks of LPG, petrol, and diesel, he said. There is no shortage. There is no crisis. And there is absolutely no reason for citizens to panic.

Oil companies are currently providing a three-day credit facility to petrol and gas agencies — a measure designed to ensure smooth and uninterrupted supply across the state. The pipeline of fuel into Telangana remains fully functional, and the central government is working actively to ensure that oil and gas supplies reach India on schedule despite the turbulence in global markets.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kishan Reddy added, is personally monitoring the situation — a signal of the seriousness with which the central government is treating the issue.

The minister also urged citizens to use LPG, petrol, and diesel conservatively and responsibly during this period of global uncertainty — a call for collective prudence rather than panic buying.

No Lockdown — Stop the Rumours

Kishan Reddy used the press conference to address one of the most damaging pieces of misinformation currently circulating on social media — the claim that India is preparing to impose a fresh lockdown.

The rumour, he said, originated from a misreading and misrepresentation of Prime Minister Modi's recent remarks in the Lok Sabha. Social media users have uploaded thousands of posts falsely claiming that a lockdown is imminent — posts that have spread rapidly and caused unnecessary alarm among the public.

"Do not believe these rumours," Kishan Reddy said firmly. "There is no lockdown coming. The Prime Minister's words have been taken completely out of context and twisted beyond recognition."

Arrest Those Spreading Rumours

The minister reserved his sharpest words for those deliberately spreading false information on social media — and he had a specific request for Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.

It is social media videos and fake news posts, Kishan Reddy argued, that have caused vehicle owners to queue up at petrol stations in panic — creating artificial demand and long lines at pumps that would otherwise be functioning normally. The same misinformation has created what he described as a "fire in kitchens" over LPG cylinder availability — panicking households into hoarding behaviour that serves no one.

"We have requested Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to arrest those who are creating and spreading rumours on social media," Kishan Reddy said — a demand that underscores the seriousness with which authorities are treating the misinformation problem.

Industry Representatives Present

The press conference brought together senior officials from India's major oil marketing companies alongside representatives of Telangana's petroleum and LPG dealer communities.

Present at the event were Indian Oil Corporation Executive Director Piyush Mittal, BPCL Chief General Manager (Retail) Nitish Selukar, HPCL Chief General Manager (Retail) Sushil Kumar Ray, Telangana Petroleum Dealers Association President Amarendra Reddy, and State LPG Owners Association President Jaganmohan Reddy, along with other senior officials.

Their collective presence at the press conference was itself a message — that the fuel supply chain in Telangana, from the national oil companies down to the local dealer level, is functioning normally and is committed to meeting public demand.

The Political Subtext

Saturday's press conference was simultaneously a public reassurance exercise and a pointed political attack — and Kishan Reddy made no attempt to disguise either dimension.

By highlighting Telangana's 35.20 percent VAT rate and the state government's twelve-year failure to reduce it — under both BRS and Congress administrations — the Union Minister placed a clear political marker. At a time when global oil prices are rising and the central government is cutting excise duty to protect consumers, Telangana's continued imposition of the country's highest fuel VAT becomes an increasingly difficult position to defend.

The ball, Kishan Reddy made abundantly clear, is now firmly in the Telangana government's court.

The Telangana state government had not responded to Minister Kishan Reddy's statements at the time of publication. This report will be updated as further developments emerge.