live Iran closes Strait of Hormuz again over U.S. blockade, state media says- Saturday 18 April
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said in a Saturday statement that the Strait of Hormuz has...
Clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan continued for an eighth consecutive day, as the United Nations says more than 160,000 people have been displaced and Afghan officials claim an airstrike on a Pakistani military command centre in Balochistan.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said airstrikes and border fighting between 26 February and 3 March affected ten Afghan provinces, including Kabul, Kandahar, Nangarhar, Khost and Kunar.
According to OCHA, at least 56 civilians have been killed and 129 injured. Humanitarian partners estimate that 16,370 families have been newly displaced across several eastern provinces. Combined with families already displaced by the 31 August 2025 earthquake, the total number of displaced families has reached about 23,370, or roughly 163,590 people.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defence said its air force carried out a strike on a Pakistani military command centre in Balochistan on Thursday night.
Sediqullah Nusrat, deputy spokesperson for the ministry, said: “The air force of the Islamic Emirate’s Ministry of Defence conducted an airstrike this morning at around eight o’clock in the Kuchlak area of Balochistan, targeting the general command centre of Pakistani military forces known as ‘Ghazaband’.”
The ministry added that several retaliatory attacks against Pakistani forces had been carried out during the past 24 hours, destroying 12 checkpoints and military positions while killing 41 soldiers and wounding 53 others.
Pakistani security sources gave a different account, saying Pakistani forces conducted ground and air operations against Afghan military targets, including in Kandahar, and destroyed several Afghan border posts.
The latest escalation began after Pakistan carried out airstrikes inside Afghanistan, allegedly targeting militant sanctuaries but hitting civilians. Kabul described the strikes as a violation of the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and vowed retaliation.
Since then, both sides say they have inflicted heavy casualties, although those claims cannot be independently verified.
Dozens of people also gathered in Kabul on Friday to protest against Pakistan’s attacks on Afghan territory, chanting anti-Pakistan slogans, according to a witness.
Diplomatic efforts are also emerging. Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told Pakistan’s prime minister during a phone call that Ankara is ready to help restore a ceasefire between Afghanistan and Pakistan, while Russia and China have also called for de-escalation.
It remains unclear whether Kabul and Islamabad will start talks.
The past 24 hours of the Russia-Ukraine war have seen a drastic escalation in both aerial bombardment and frontline losses.
Iran reopened the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping on Friday (17 April) for the first time since the U.S. and Israel killed Iran's ex-Supreme Leader in air strikes, triggering the Middle East conflict, at the end of February. A U.S. blockade on Iranian ports, however, remains in force.
Russia published addresses of manufacturers allegedly producing drones or components for Ukraine on Wednesday (15 April), warning European countries against plans to step up UAV supplies to Kyiv.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said in a Saturday statement that the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its "previous state" under the control of its "armed forces," citing the ongoing U.S. blockade on Iranian ports.
Netflix shares fell sharply on Friday after the streaming group issued a weaker-than-expected outlook and said chairman and co-founder Reed Hastings will step down from the board.
Global leaders and diplomats gathered in southern Türkiye on 17 April for the fifth Antalya Diplomacy Forum, focusing on uncertainty, conflict, and the future of global cooperation.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Armenia and Russia have agreed to continue implementing previously reached agreements in the military-technical sphere following his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
Global leaders have gathered in Antalya Diplomacy Forum, with discussions centred on geopolitical uncertainty and international cooperation.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has said his country could provide a “safe corridor” and “alternative route” for regional energy shipments, as supply disruptions continue to affect the wider Middle East.
An average of at least 47 women and girls were killed each day during the war in Gaza, according to new figures released by UN Women.
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