live Iran, U.S. make competing claims over control of Strait of Hormuz
Iran says the Strait of Hormuz remains under its control, rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim of “total control” over t...
Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that talks with Pakistan had been positive, while Türkiye stressed the importance of stronger ties between Kabul and Islamabad.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met Türkiye’s chargé d’affaires in Kabul, Sadin Ayyıldız. The two sides discussed regional developments and recent negotiations held in Ürümqi, China.
The ministry said Muttaqi described Afghanistan’s relations with Türkiye as positive and noted that Ankara’s earlier mediation efforts had been valuable.
Summarising the state of the talks, the ministry said Muttaqi stressed that progress had been made, saying, “So far, the talks have been positive,” and expressed hope that “minor technical issues” would not slow the process.
The Turkish envoy also underlined Ankara’s stance. According to the Afghan ministry, Ayyıldız said positive relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan were of “special importance” to Türkiye and that his country would continue its efforts in that regard.
Pakistan has not publicly commented on the latest meeting. However, in earlier statements on the wider crisis, Pakistani officials said counter-terrorism operations would continue until militant safe havens and cross-border threats were addressed.
The meeting comes days after China said Afghanistan and Pakistan had agreed in Ürümqi not to take steps that would escalate the situation.
According to the United Nations, recent fighting has displaced more than 94,000 people. Around 100,000 people in Nuristan’s Barg-e-Matal and Kamdesh districts have also been cut off from humanitarian assistance.
Disruption in the Strait of Hormuz has increased the strategic importance of Bab al-Mandab, raising fears that instability in both waterways could trigger a wider global energy and trade crisis.
Flights at Catania airport in Sicily will remain suspended until early Friday as ash from Mount Etna continues to disrupt air travel, following hundreds of cancellations and diversions over the past week.
Iran says the Strait of Hormuz remains under its control, rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim of “total control” over the strategic waterway and insisting it will not reopen until Washington fulfils its commitments under an interim deal.
Iran and the United States remain at loggerheads over efforts to agree a permanent end to the war in the Gulf, according to a senior Iranian source who said there had been no progress in talks to revive the interim deal agreed in June and define a timeframe to implement it.
Russia has accused Ukraine of threatening global grain supplies after recent strikes on Black Sea agricultural infrastructure, while Moscow carried out a new overnight attack on Ukraine’s major Danube port of Izmail.
The suspension of two major grain terminals in Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk could increase pressure on Kazakhstan’s agricultural market if Russian exporters divert supplies to Central Asia at discounted prices.
Georgia’s Prime Minister says the EU’s inclusion of a major Black Sea cable project on a key infrastructure list is fresh evidence of the country’s importance to regional energy and digital connectivity.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has dismissed Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan and appointed former parliament speaker Alen Simonyan as his replacement.
Central Asia’s economy has surpassed $543 billion, driven by Kazakhstan’s economic weight, strong exports and foreign investment, while growing trade across Asia points to an increasingly connected region.
The United Nations refugee agency is planning a settlement and carpet-weaving workshop for Afghan returnees in Kabul as the country grapples with large-scale returns and growing pressure on housing, jobs and basic services.
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