live U.S.-Iran standoff continues as Hormuz shipping and diplomacy remain uncertain
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to res...
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have signed 13 agreements during President Sadyr Japarov’s visit to Dushanbe, marking a new chapter in bilateral ties following the resolution of a decades-long border dispute.
According to the Kyrgyz presidency, the agreements include confidence-building measures, the formation of a Kyrgyz-Tajik intergovernmental council, and a cooperation program between their foreign ministries for 2026–2027.
The two leaders also inaugurated the Tojvaron-Karamyk border checkpoint via videoconference, symbolizing improved connectivity and collaboration.
This comes just months after the two Central Asian nations signed an historic border agreement in March, resolving a long-standing dispute along their nearly 1,000-kilometres (621-miles) shared border—a frequent source of tensions and clashes in recent years.
The collective-defence agreement between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signals that regional powers no longer want to rely solely on external security guarantees. Whether it becomes a stabilising deterrent or another axis of rivalry remains unresolved.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed, according to the latest data, as uncertainty over the waterway’s reopening kept most shipowners away. Six commodity vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday, down from nine the day before and below the 10-day daily average of 11.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils the terms of an interim deal, including lifting the maritime blockade and sanctions and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.
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