Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Dangerous phase: On the crisis in West Asia

Dangerous phase: On the crisis in West Asia

The Iran war is plunging the region in an economic and security abyss (गहरी खाई, अत्यंत गंभीर स्थिति)

The crisis in West Asia is escalating on two fronts (मोर्चा, क्षेत्र). On Tuesday, the U.S. said that its forces (सैन्य बल, सैनिक बल) had struck five Iranian oil tankers (a large ship designed to carry oil in bulk; petroleum carrier, bulk carrier, freighter) in the Gulf waters (खाड़ी का समुद्री क्षेत्र, खाड़ी का जलक्षेत्र) after what it claimed (दावा करना, कहना) were Tehran’s attacks on U.S. warships (युद्धपोत, सैन्य जहाज) in the region. Iran retaliated (जवाबी कार्रवाई करना) with a massive (बहुत बड़ा, विशाल) ballistic missile (a rocket-propelled, self-guided strategic weapon that follows a high-arc, largely unpowered ballistic trajectory after its initial powered flight to deliver a warhead to a predetermined target; strategic missile, rocket weapon, guided missile, ballistic rocket) attack on the Muwaffaq Salti U.S. air base (वायुसेना अड्डा, सैन्य हवाई अड्डा) in Jordan and vowed (शपथ लेना, दृढ़ संकल्प करना) to respond with greater force (more powerfully, vigorously, strongly, intensely) to every U.S. attack from now on (अब से, आगे से). It has also announced a new restricted zone (प्रतिबंधित क्षेत्र) in the Strait of Hormuz (a strategically important strait between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, forming the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean), warning commercial ships against crossing it under American naval escort (नौसैनिक सुरक्षा-दल). Separately, Yemen’s Houthis (officially known as Ansar Allah, an armed Zaydi Shia political and militant group operating in Yemen), who are closely aligned with (having a strong political, strategic or ideological connection with another party; closely associated with, allied with, in step with, closely connected with) Tehran, launched (initiate, begin, start, commence) an attack on Saudi Arabia, wounding (inflict an injury on someone; injure, hurt, harm, maim) dozens. Riyadh has vowed a response (reaction, reply, retaliation, countermove). The Houthis, who control northern Yemen and parts of its Red Sea (a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia, playing a crucial role in global maritime trade) coast (shoreline, coastline), have already enforced (compel observance of or compliance with a law, rule, or obligation; impose, implement, apply, execute) a naval blockade (an act of war whereby one party blocks entry to or departure from a defined part of an enemy’s coast using naval forces; naval siege, maritime embargo, sea embargo, maritime closure) of Saudi Arabia’s western ports and launched an offensive (an attacking military campaign; attack, assault, onslaught, drive) against the forces of Yemen’s Saudi-backed government in Taiz (a major city in southwestern Yemen situated in the Yemeni Highlands) and Mocha (a port city located on the Red Sea coast of Yemen). With both the Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf (a mediterranean sea in Western Asia, an arm of the Arabian Sea, located between the Arabian Peninsula and southwestern Iran) with the Gulf of Oman (a gulf that connects the Arabian Sea with the Strait of Hormuz, serving as a vital shipping route), and the Red Sea, a critical trade channel (trade route, maritime corridor, shipping lane) between Europe and Asia, remaining flashpoints (hotspot, crisis point, trouble spot, danger zone, tinderbox, powder keg), a horizontally (spreading across a broader region or incorporating multiple parallel domains; laterally, broadly, across the board, wide-reachingly) escalating conflict (armed struggle; dispute, confrontation, hostilities, armed clash, warfare) from Tehran (the capital city of Iran, often used metonymically to refer to the Iranian government) to Jordan (an Arab nation situated on the east bank of the Jordan River in the Middle East) and Riyadh (the capital city of Saudi Arabia, often used metonymically to refer to the Saudi government) to Bab-el Mandeb (a strait between Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula and Djibouti and Eritrea in the Horn of Africa, connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden) threatens (endanger, jeopardize, menace, imperil) to plunge the entire region into an economic and security abyss.

The current phase of the conflict could prove (turn out, emerge, happen to be, show to be) to be deadlier (more fatal, more lethal, more mortal, more destructive) for several reasons. The U.S., which in the recent past (a time that was not long ago; near past, recent times, yesterday) has used intense (severe, fierce, profound, extreme) military strikes (हमला करना, प्रहार करना) and economic strangulation (the action or state of restricting or compressing something, often economically; suppression, restriction, squeezing, suffocation) as separate policy tools (a mechanism or method used by a government to achieve a specific policy goal; strategy, instrument, mechanism, measure) in an attempt to (making an effort to do something; trying to, seeking to, with the intention of, striving to) force Iran to surrender (yield, capitulate, concede, give in), is now using both simultaneously to exert maximum pressure on Tehran. The U.S. naval blockade (an act or means of sealing off a place to prevent goods or people from entering or leaving; barricade, siege, barrier, embargo) has largely (to a great extent or on the whole; mostly, mainly, primarily, principally) prevented Iran from exporting its oil, while the American naval escort to a limited (restricted, finite, scarce, constrained, narrow) number of ships out of the Strait of Hormuz has helped Washington blunt (make or become less sharp, severe, or intense; dull, weaken, deaden, mitigate) the impact (a marked effect or influence; consequence, repercussion, effect, outcome) of Iran’s chokehold (complete control over a situation or area, preventing progress or movement; grip, stranglehold, tight control, suppression) on the waterway (navigable water, channel, passage, shipping lane) on global energy (referring to the worldwide supply, consumption, and trade of energy resources, particularly oil and gas; world energy, international power resources, global fuel) prices. But President Donald Trump was wrong if he thought his maximum economic and military pressure (coercion, compulsion, force, intimidation) would force Iran to make concessions (to grant rights, yield demands, or compromise in negotiations; compromise, yield, make compromises, give ground, submit). Iran, instead (alternatively, rather, on second thought, in lieu), decided to escalate (बढ़ना, तीव्र होना) the conflict by attacking American warships outside the Persian Gulf, fully aware (completely conscious, cognizant, well-informed, mindful) that this would invite (provoke, draw, prompt, trigger) a stronger U.S. military response. Iran appears (seem or give the impression of being; seem, look) to believe that it has a window of opportunity (a brief time period in which a favorable action can be taken; chance, opening, right moment, favorable time) with the U.S. heading into (approach, enter, move towards, advance towards) its midterm elections (elections held midway through a president’s term in the United States, primarily for seats in Congress and various state and local offices) within weeks and Mr. Trump remaining (stay, continue, persist, endure) politically weak at home (in one’s own country or domestically; domestically, locally, internally, in the nation). If Iran’s strikes (a sudden attack, typically a military one; attack, bombardment, assault, offensive) on U.S. military vessels (a naval ship used by military forces; warship, naval ship, combat vessel, armed ship) signal (indicate, point to, imply, denote) a clear decision at the top (at the highest level of leadership or authority; in leadership, at the highest echelon, at the peak, among the authorities) to escalate the conflict, its missile attack (an act of firing a missile at a target; rocket strike, missile strike, bombardment, aerial assault) on U.S. bases (a place used as a center of operations by the armed forces; headquarters, camp, installation, station) in Jordan suggests (put forward for consideration or indicate something; indicate, point to, imply) that Tehran has been rebuilding (reconstruct, restore, redevelop, re-establish) its strike capabilities — capabilities that Mr. Trump had claimed were destroyed. As neither (not either of two things or people) Washington nor (used before the second or further of two or more alternatives to indicate that they are each untrue or each do not happen) Iran seems (give the impression of being something or having a particular quality; appear, look, give the impression, sound) ready to step back (withdraw, retreat, pull back, back away) from the precipice (a dangerous situation that could lead to harm or failure; edge, brink, verge, abyss), the war is set to (ready or likely to do something; prepared to, ready to, poised to, about to) enter a more dangerous phase with global economic implications (consequence, ramification, repercussion, effect).

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.abyss (noun)

Hindi Meaning - गहरी खाई, अत्यंत गंभीर स्थिति
English Meaning - a catastrophic or disastrous situation; a situation of extreme difficulty; chasm, void, gulf, pit.

2.escalate (verb)

Hindi Meaning - बढ़ना, तीव्र होना
English Meaning - intensify, heighten, compound, magnify.

3.front (noun)

Hindi Meaning - मोर्चा, क्षेत्र
English Meaning - a particular area or field of activity or conflict; arena, domain, field, sector, theatre.

4.force (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सैन्य बल, सैनिक बल
English Meaning - troops, military, armed personnel, armed military units.

5.strike (verb)

Hindi Meaning - हमला करना, प्रहार करना
English Meaning - to hit or attack someone or something forcefully; attack, bombard, assault, hit.

6.Gulf waters (proper noun)

Hindi Meaning - खाड़ी का समुद्री क्षेत्र, खाड़ी का जलक्षेत्र
English Meaning - referring to the marine waters of the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman region, which are critical for global maritime trade.

7.claim (verb)

Hindi Meaning - दावा करना, कहना
English Meaning - state or assert that something is the case, typically without providing evidence or proof; assert, declare, profess, maintain.

8.warship (noun)

Hindi Meaning - युद्धपोत, सैन्य जहाज
English Meaning - combat ship, naval vessel, battleship, cruiser.

9.retaliate (verb)

Hindi Meaning - जवाबी कार्रवाई करना
English Meaning - hit back, strike back, respond, reciprocate.

10.massive (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - बहुत बड़ा, विशाल
English Meaning - enormous, colossal, gigantic, tremendous.

11.air base (noun)

Hindi Meaning - वायुसेना अड्डा, सैन्य हवाई अड्डा
English Meaning - a base for the operation of military aircraft; air station, airfield, military airport, aerodrome.

12.vow (verb)

Hindi Meaning - शपथ लेना, दृढ़ संकल्प करना
English Meaning - solemnly promise to do a specified thing; promise, pledge, swear, undertake.

13.from now on (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - अब से, आगे से
English Meaning - henceforth, in the future, hereafter, moving forward.

14.restricted zone (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रतिबंधित क्षेत्र
English Meaning - exclusion zone, forbidden area, off-limits area, no-go area.

15.naval escort (noun)

Hindi Meaning - नौसैनिक सुरक्षा-दल
English Meaning - a naval ship or ships accompanying another vessel for protection; armed convoy, protective fleet, maritime guard, defensive accompaniment.

16.plunge into (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - cause someone or something to enter suddenly and deeply into a difficult, unpleasant or dangerous situation; immerse in, thrust into, throw into, drive into.

17.oil tanker (noun)

English Meaning - a large ship designed to carry oil in bulk; petroleum carrier, bulk carrier, freighter.

18.ballistic missile (noun)

English Meaning - a rocket-propelled, self-guided strategic weapon that follows a high-arc, largely unpowered ballistic trajectory after its initial powered flight to deliver a warhead to a predetermined target; strategic missile, rocket weapon, guided missile, ballistic rocket.

19.ballistic (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to the flight of an object, especially a missile, that follows a high-arc trajectory determined mainly by gravity after its initial powered flight; trajectory-based, missile-related, high-arc.

20.Muwaffaq Salti air base (proper noun)

English Meaning - Muwaffaq Salti Air Base is a Royal Jordanian Air Force base located in Azraq, Jordan.

21.with greater force (phrase)

English Meaning - more powerfully, vigorously, strongly, intensely.

22.Strait of Hormuz (proper noun)

English Meaning - a strategically important strait between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, forming the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean.

23.Houthis (proper noun)

English Meaning - officially known as Ansar Allah, an armed Zaydi Shia political and militant group operating in Yemen.

24.closely aligned with (phrase)

English Meaning - having a strong political, strategic or ideological connection with another party; closely associated with, allied with, in step with, closely connected with.

25.launch (verb)

English Meaning - initiate, begin, start, commence.

26.wound (verb)

English Meaning - inflict an injury on someone; injure, hurt, harm, maim.

27.response (noun)

English Meaning - reaction, reply, retaliation, countermove.

28.Red Sea (proper noun)

English Meaning - a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia, playing a crucial role in global maritime trade.

29.coast (noun)

English Meaning - shoreline, coastline.

30.enforce (verb)

English Meaning - compel observance of or compliance with a law, rule, or obligation; impose, implement, apply, execute.

31.naval blockade (noun)

English Meaning - an act of war whereby one party blocks entry to or departure from a defined part of an enemy’s coast using naval forces; naval siege, maritime embargo, sea embargo, maritime closure.

32.offensive (noun)

English Meaning - an attacking military campaign; attack, assault, onslaught, drive.

33.backed (adjective)

English Meaning - supported, assisted, or funded by; supported, endorsed, championed, financed.

34.Taiz (proper noun)

English Meaning - a major city in southwestern Yemen situated in the Yemeni Highlands.

35.Mocha (proper noun)

English Meaning - a port city located on the Red Sea coast of Yemen.

36.Persian Gulf (proper noun)

English Meaning - a mediterranean sea in Western Asia, an arm of the Arabian Sea, located between the Arabian Peninsula and southwestern Iran.

37.Gulf of Oman (proper noun)

English Meaning - a gulf that connects the Arabian Sea with the Strait of Hormuz, serving as a vital shipping route.

38.trade channel (noun phrase)

English Meaning - trade route, maritime corridor, shipping lane.

39.channel (noun)

English Meaning - a navigable passage, strait, waterway, sound.

40.flashpoint (noun)

English Meaning - hotspot, crisis point, trouble spot, danger zone, tinderbox, powder keg.

41.horizontally (adverb)

English Meaning - spreading across a broader region or incorporating multiple parallel domains; laterally, broadly, across the board, wide-reachingly.

42.conflict (noun)

English Meaning - armed struggle; dispute, confrontation, hostilities, armed clash, warfare.

43.Tehran (proper noun)

English Meaning - the capital city of Iran, often used metonymically to refer to the Iranian government.

44.Jordan (proper noun)

English Meaning - an Arab nation situated on the east bank of the Jordan River in the Middle East.

45.Riyadh (proper noun)

English Meaning - the capital city of Saudi Arabia, often used metonymically to refer to the Saudi government.

46.Bab-el Mandeb (proper noun)

English Meaning - a strait between Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula and Djibouti and Eritrea in the Horn of Africa, connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.

47.threaten (verb)

English Meaning - endanger, jeopardize, menace, imperil.

48.prove (verb)

English Meaning - turn out, emerge, happen to be, show to be.

49.deadlier (adjective)

English Meaning - more fatal, more lethal, more mortal, more destructive.

50.recent past (noun)

English Meaning - a time that was not long ago; near past, recent times, yesterday.

51.intense (adjective)

English Meaning - severe, fierce, profound, extreme.

52.military strike (noun)

English Meaning - armed assault, military attack, bombardment, offensive.

53.strangulation (noun)

English Meaning - the action or state of restricting or compressing something, often economically; suppression, restriction, squeezing, suffocation.

54.policy tool (noun)

English Meaning - a mechanism or method used by a government to achieve a specific policy goal; strategy, instrument, mechanism, measure.

55.in an attempt to (phrase)

English Meaning - making an effort to do something; trying to, seeking to, with the intention of, striving to.

56.surrender (verb)

English Meaning - yield, capitulate, concede, give in.

57.exert pressure on (phrase)

English Meaning - to apply force, influence, or coercion on someone or something; heavily pressure, coerce, force, arm-twist.

58.blockade (noun)

English Meaning - an act or means of sealing off a place to prevent goods or people from entering or leaving; barricade, siege, barrier, embargo.

59.largely (adverb)

English Meaning - to a great extent or on the whole; mostly, mainly, primarily, principally.

60.limited (adjective)

English Meaning - restricted, finite, scarce, constrained, narrow.

61.blunt (verb)

English Meaning - make or become less sharp, severe, or intense; dull, weaken, deaden, mitigate.

62.impact (noun)

English Meaning - a marked effect or influence; consequence, repercussion, effect, outcome.

63.chokehold (noun)

English Meaning - complete control over a situation or area, preventing progress or movement; grip, stranglehold, tight control, suppression.

64.waterway (noun)

English Meaning - navigable water, channel, passage, shipping lane.

65.global energy (noun)

English Meaning - referring to the worldwide supply, consumption, and trade of energy resources, particularly oil and gas; world energy, international power resources, global fuel.

66.pressure (noun)

English Meaning - coercion, compulsion, force, intimidation.

67.make concessions (idiom/phrase)

English Meaning - to grant rights, yield demands, or compromise in negotiations; compromise, yield, make compromises, give ground, submit.

68.concession (noun)

English Meaning - compromise, adjustment, allowance, yielding.

69.instead (adverb)

English Meaning - alternatively, rather, on second thought, in lieu.

70.fully aware (phrase)

English Meaning - completely conscious, cognizant, well-informed, mindful.

71.invite (verb)

English Meaning - provoke, draw, prompt, trigger.

72.appear (verb)

English Meaning - seem or give the impression of being; seem, look

73.window of opportunity (phrase)

English Meaning - a brief time period in which a favorable action can be taken; chance, opening, right moment, favorable time.

74.head into (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - approach, enter, move towards, advance towards.

75.midterm election (noun)

English Meaning - elections held midway through a president’s term in the United States, primarily for seats in Congress and various state and local offices.

76.remain (verb)

English Meaning - stay, continue, persist, endure.

77.at home (phrase)

English Meaning - in one’s own country or domestically; domestically, locally, internally, in the nation.

78.strike (noun)

English Meaning - a sudden attack, typically a military one; attack, bombardment, assault, offensive.

79.military vessel (noun)

English Meaning - a naval ship used by military forces; warship, naval ship, combat vessel, armed ship.

80.signal (verb)

English Meaning - indicate, point to, imply, denote.

81.at the top (phrase)

English Meaning - at the highest level of leadership or authority; in leadership, at the highest echelon, at the peak, among the authorities.

82.missile attack (noun)

English Meaning - an act of firing a missile at a target; rocket strike, missile strike, bombardment, aerial assault.

83.base (noun)

English Meaning - a place used as a center of operations by the armed forces; headquarters, camp, installation, station.

84.suggest (verb)

English Meaning - put forward for consideration or indicate something; indicate, point to, imply.

85.rebuild (verb)

English Meaning - reconstruct, restore, redevelop, re-establish.

86.strike capability (noun)

English Meaning - the capacity of a military force to successfully execute an attack; attack capacity, offensive strength, bombardment potential, hitting power.

87.neither (conjunction)

English Meaning - not either of two things or people.

88.nor (conjunction)

English Meaning - used before the second or further of two or more alternatives to indicate that they are each untrue or each do not happen.

89.seem (verb)

English Meaning - give the impression of being something or having a particular quality; appear, look, give the impression, sound.

90.step back (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - withdraw, retreat, pull back, back away.

91.precipice (noun)

English Meaning - a dangerous situation that could lead to harm or failure; edge, brink, verge, abyss.

92.set to (phrase)

English Meaning - ready or likely to do something; prepared to, ready to, poised to, about to.

93.implication (noun)

English Meaning - consequence, ramification, repercussion, effect.