Hook Weekly Wrap | 16.05.25

“Operation Sindoor has set a ‘new normal’”: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his first address to the nation since May 7th’s ‘Operation Sindoor’ said that it has set a “new normal” in India’s fight against terrorism. PM Modi added that every step taken by Pakistan will be watched and that India will strongly respond to any fresh attack without succumbing to nuclear blackmail.

US-China strike trade deal

Following trade talks in Geneva, both the US and China confirmed a reduction in the tariffs they imposed on each other following US President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs earlier this year.

The deal involves both nations cancelling some tariffs altogether and suspending others for 90 days.

Trump lifts Syria sanctions, strikes deals with Saudi Arabia

US President Donald Trump on his trip to the Gulf surprised the world by announcing that the US will lift long-standing sanctions on Syria - designated a state sponsor of terrorism by the US government since 1979.

Trump also triumphantly declared a $600 billion commitment from Saudi Arabia to invest in the US, while the US agreed to sell Saudi Arabia an arms package worth nearly $142 billion.

Iran nearing nuclear deal: Trump

US President Donald Trump today claimed Washington is nearing a nuclear deal with Iran, despite ongoing diplomatic hurdles. Trump said he was basing his optimism on new statements by Iran but did not specify which remarks he was referring to.

Earlier in the week though, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said in a US media interview that Tehran was willing to accept far-reaching curbs on its nuclear programme.

UN calls for urgent de-escalation following violence Libya’s Tripoli

The United Nations called for urgent de-escalation in Libya’s capital of Tripoli.

This after rival gunmen exchanged fire in the city’s southern districts prompting authorities to impose an emergency lockdown warning following the alleged killing of Abdel Ghani al-Kikli - the head of the powerful Stability Support Authority militia.

Putin skips Ukraine peace talks

Russia and Ukraine are set to hold their first direct peace talks in three years in Turkiye but hopes for a breakthrough remained dim. Mainly because Russian President Vladimir Putin spurned an offer by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to meet face-to-face.

Zelenskyy said he was sending a team headed by his Defence Minister to Istanbul for the talks, even as he said that the Russian delegation did not include “anyone who actually makes decisions”, accusing Moscow of not making efforts to end the war.

And with that, it’s a wrap on geopolitics this week. Check out the Hook app for all the latest updates.