The View From India newsletter: ‘No kings’ rallies and a growing anti-war sentiment   Today World News

(This article is part of the View From India newsletter curated by The Hindu’s foreign affairs experts. To get the newsletter in your inbox every Monday, subscribe here.)

Over 8 million people are estimated to have gathered in protest, at the ‘No Kings’ rallies held across the United States and in over a dozen other countries, against the Trump administration. American commentators point to a notable departure in the third ‘No Kings’ protest, where a majority — over 70 % — cited peace and anti-war positions as reason for their participation.  View the protest photos here for an idea of how opposition to Mr. Trump is gaining momentum within the U.S.  

But history has repeatedly shown us that tyrants and bullies are seldom good listeners.  That is also perhaps why Mr. Trump finds himself trapped in a war he cannot sustain. After miscalculating Iran’s ability to respond, he is unable to find the exit route he desperately wants. Mr. Trump is also unable to rein in Israel, which is determined to persist with the ongoing war on Iran, despite Iran decidedly standing up to the two powers.  Amid reports of the Pentagon preparing for weeks of ground operations in Iran, the threat of a prolonged war continues, even as the rest of the world struggles to cope with its impact, especially with shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz — through which 20 % of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas passes every day — being brought to a near-standstill.  

Speaking to Stanly Johny, Trita Parsi, co-founder and executive vice president of the Quincy Institute, tells us why this war is unsustainable, regardless of what the U.S. or Israel might believe. A month since the U.S. and Israel launched their war on Iran, President Trump doesn’t have any easy exit options, he says, adding that Israel and the U.S. have different objectives in the war. If the U.S. launches a ground offensive in Iran, it would be more difficult for Mr. Trump to declare victory and exit, he noted. Contrary to Mr. Trump’s frequent claims, “the United States is not winning the war,” Mr. Parsi asserts.  Read the full interview here

You can also watch the conversation here

One month of Israel-U.S. war on Iran – our desk compiled a timeline from February 28, 2026, to March 28, 2026.  Have a look to understand how the conflict, which began with joint Israel-U.S. strikes on February 28, spread throughout West Asia and sent ripples through the global economy. 

Mediating between warring sides  

As global headlines spotlighted Pakistan as a mediator between the two warring sides, India was quick to dismiss Pakistan’s role. Parrying the questions raised by the Opposition regarding the reported central role played by Pakistan in mediating between the U.S. and Iran, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar termed the neighbouring country a “dalal” or broker, often used in a derogatory manner, Sobhana K. Nair and Suhasini Haidar report. Further, responding to criticism over India’s “silence”, Mr. Jaishankar asserted that with nearly one crore Indians living in West Asian countries, it was crucial for India’s strategic and economic interests to maintain a balanced position. Whether in Gaza in the case of Iran, where there is little ambiguity over who the aggressor is, “balance” or “neutrality” appear woefully weak choices, especially for a country that commands attention on the global stage.   

However, Washington’s decision to engage Pakistan as a facilitator for talks may also be rooted in history, given Islamabad, and a different General’s role in facilitating U.S. talks with China 55 years ago, at the height of the Cold War, writes Suhasini Haidar in this flashback piece. At that time, U.S. President Richard Nixon had begun to work on his plan to open up relations with Beijing (U.S. still formally recognised Taiwan as the Republic of China (ROC)), but direct Sino-U.S. Ambassadorial talks had floundered. Pakistan was not the first option, as he and his National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger considered others, including Poland, France and Romania. 

Meanwhile, following The New York Times’s recent report on U.S. businessman Elon Musk being present during a call between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Trump, India said that the conversation was only between the two leaders. However, the government did not deny or confirm Mr. Musk’s presence during the call, in which the two leaders discussed the West Asia conflict, reports Suhasini Haidar. New Delhi’s response did not answer the many questions that have risen since, such as why Mr. Musk was present while the two leaders were speaking, presumably on the Iran war; whether India knew of and was comfortable with his presence, and what influence that leaves India with.  

Watch: War in West Asia: Is India’s energy diplomacy holding up? Suhasini Haidar examines where New Delhi stands, in the latest episode of Worldview

Top 5 stories we are reading this week   

1. Mohammad Bagher Zolqadr | Ascent of the Guardsman – Stanly Johny writes on the rise of the former IRGC commander as the Secretary of Iran’s National Security Council, that suggests the Guards are tightening their grip on Iran’s state machinery  

2. Situating Nepal’s current political moment in the long history of feudalism to republican democracy – by Srinivasan Ramani  

3. The Hindu editorial on India-Nepal ties in the new context  

4. Writing on world affairs from the Global South – Srinivasan Ramani urges editorial writers depending on the West for reports to critically reject their imperial frame of reference  

5. G. Sampath profiles Pedro Sanchez, Europe’s only anti-war Prime Minister   

Published – March 30, 2026 02:08 pm IST