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...
Afghanistan recorded the return of 6,202 refugees from Iran and Pakistan on Friday, officials confirmed.
According to Afghanistan's High Commission for Addressing Returnees Problems, 1,693 refugee families crossed back into the country on Friday, using multiple border points including Islam Qala in Herat, Torkham in Nangarhar, Spin Boldak in Kandahar, and Abrisham in Nimroz.
The commission did not specify the reasons behind this particular wave of returns, though both Iran and Pakistan have recently stepped up deportations of undocumented Afghans.
In early August, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported that more than 2 million Afghans, including 500,000 children, have returned from Iran, Pakistan, and other countries so far this year.
The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation said in July that around 6 million Afghan nationals remain abroad, the majority of them undocumented and residing in Iran and Pakistan.
UN agencies have repeatedly called for better protections and reintegration assistance for the returnees, citing risks of poverty, unemployment, and lack of access to education and healthcare.
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 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.
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.
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.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 19th of August, covering the latest developments.
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.
Australia on Thursday condemned Israel’s decision to close its criminal investigation into the deaths of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom and six World Central Kitchen colleagues killed in Gaza in April 2024.
North Korea has fired more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles after U.S. President Donald Trump reduced American participation in joint military exercises with South Korea in an effort to revive dialogue with Pyongyang.
Georgia’s foreign trade data for January-July 2026 shows Kyrgyzstan, China and Russia as its top three export markets, highlighting its Middle Corridor ambitions and complex economic ties with Moscow.
Kazakhstan will vote on 23 August in its first parliamentary election under the new Constitution, choosing 145 members of the new Kurultai under a fundamentally changed electoral system based entirely on party lists.
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