The United States formally removed Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism on Monday, a decision implemented by the Trump administration nearly 47 years after Syria was added in 1979. The move opens new prospects for international investment and trade for Syria, which has faced long-standing US sanctions and financial restrictions.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Syria’s new government had taken positive steps to distance itself from international terrorism, and that these measures were considered in removing the designation. President Donald Trump had already moved in July to lift broad economic sanctions on Syria.

The United States also withdrew its terrorist designation for Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a former rebel group once linked to al-Qaeda and led by current Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Al-Sharaa welcomed the decision as historic, while Damascus hopes it will accelerate reconstruction and economic recovery. Iran, North Korea and Cuba remain on the US list.

Shipping through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz fell sharply on Monday, when only one cargo vessel was recorded crossing the narrow waterway. The figure was the lowest daily level since May 7, according to preliminary data from shipping-monitoring firm Kpler. A large gas carrier entered the strait from the Gulf of Oman, while six vessels had moved through the route on Sunday.

Traffic has declined substantially in recent weeks amid worsening security conditions around the strait, one of the world’s most important energy transport routes. Vessel movements had already fallen into single digits on several occasions this month. Before the war began, nearly one-fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas shipments passed through the Strait of Hormuz, raising concern over international energy supplies.

Kpler said its data remains preliminary because some ships travel with their transponders, or Automatic Identification System signals, switched off for security reasons. Actual traffic may therefore be higher than the published figure. Iran has also recently blacklisted 45 tankers and threatened them with fines, detention or cargo seizure, increasing risks for commercial shipping.

Britain is helping Ukraine expand its domestic weapons production capacity as the country fights Russia, aiming to make Kyiv more self-reliant. As part of the effort, Britain is providing technology and information for advanced missile production. The support is expected to reduce Ukraine’s future dependence on weapons supplies from Western countries.

Britain recently shared confidential information related to important components of the French-made SCALP missile, according to the report. Ukraine could use the information to manufacture and assemble similar cruise missiles on its own territory. The initiative is being viewed as a major step in the transformation of Ukraine’s weapons industry.

Ukraine has long relied on arms supplied by the United States and European countries, but political decisions, stock shortages and delivery delays have sometimes forced Kyiv to wait. It is also seeking to produce missile-defence systems domestically, while depending heavily on US-made Patriot systems against Russian ballistic missiles. Britain and European countries are seeking to help Ukraine sustain its defence even if political conditions change in Western states.

Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir visited Tehran for one day, urging a swift end to the ongoing war between Iran and the United States and the reopening of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz. He stressed reducing the scope of the conflict and pursuing a diplomatic solution.

According to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations, Munir met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and other senior officials. Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi accompanied him during the visit. Both sides emphasized preventing further escalation of the US-Iran conflict.

The meetings included detailed discussions on reaching a mutually acceptable resolution to the crisis through dialogue. Senior Iranian leaders welcomed Pakistan’s mediation initiative aimed at reducing tensions and advancing diplomatic talks.

Nine years after the Myanmar military crackdown of August 25, 2017, more than 1.3 million Rohingya are living in 33 refugee camps in Bangladesh, mainly in Ukhiya and Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar. Safe and dignified repatriation has not begun, despite repeated initiatives. UNHCR’s latest figure puts the number of forcibly displaced Myanmar residents in Bangladesh at 1,202,034, while the article cites a higher general estimate.

Myanmar’s junta has said it would take back 350,000 Rohingya, but refugees reject return without citizenship, security, justice and recognition of their Rohingya ethnic identity. Fighting between junta-controlled forces and the Arakan Army, which began in late 2023, has continued, with more than 200,000 additional Rohingya seeking shelter in Bangladesh from January 2024 through July 2026.

The camps face rising pressure from births, limited education and crime, while international humanitarian support is shrinking. Donor agencies have reduced rations and basic health services because of funding gaps in the 2026 joint response plan. Bangladesh says the only durable solution is safe, voluntary and dignified return to Myanmar, and calls for sustained international political and economic pressure on Myanmar.

Israel has created an artificial fuel shortage in the occupied West Bank through border controls, restrictions on currency transfers and barriers to geographic movement, the report says. All fuel used in the West Bank is imported from Israel, giving Israeli authorities full control over the supply system.

Palestinians mainly use the Israeli shekel because they have no currency of their own. Under the stated arrangement, Israel’s central bank is required to take back excess cash held by Palestinians, but Israeli authorities have recently refused to accept cash deposits from Palestinian banks. As a result, businesses cannot use banking channels to pay for essential goods such as fuel despite having sufficient money.

The report says new roads linking illegal Israeli settlements have cut Palestinian cities off from main roads. Palestinians are forced to take longer routes, while hundreds of vehicles face severe congestion at Israeli military checkpoints. Longer journeys and extended engine use have sharply increased fuel consumption. Analysts cited in the report link the measures to Israel’s upcoming election and say right-wing politicians use checkpoint scenes to appeal to voters while worsening Palestinian hardship.

The United States Navy faces pressure meeting global military demands despite operating 11 aircraft carriers, compared with China’s three, retired US Navy Vice Admiral John Miller said in an interview with Al Jazeera. Miller said that only a small number of carriers are operational or ready for deployment at any particular time, limiting the apparent advantage of the larger US fleet.

He identified routine maintenance, repairs and training as key reasons why carriers are unavailable. Nuclear-powered carriers also require extended refuelling and overhaul work, with at least one carrier undergoing the multiyear process at all times. Miller said fleet readiness can be understood by dividing the total number of carriers by three.

Using an example of nine available carriers, Miller said three would be deployed in combat zones, three would have recently returned from operations and three would be preparing for their next mission. He said this helps explain Washington’s decision to remove USS George Washington from the Asia-Pacific to join USS George H.W. Bush in the Middle East and replace USS Abraham Lincoln. Miller warned that deploying two carrier strike groups in the Middle East imposes security costs on other regions.

Israel’s military said it killed a Hamas fighter in an overnight airstrike in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza during a ceasefire. The Israel Defense Forces identified the man as Mohammed Abd al-Nasser Jabr Abu Asad, describing him as a member of Hamas’s elite Nukhba force. The military alleged that Abu Asad was among those who took part in the October 7, 2023 attack in Israel.

The IDF said the same strike also targeted another Hamas member whom it alleged had entered Israel during the October 7 attack. According to the military, that person is believed to have survived the strike. No further details about the second target or the reported attack were provided in the source.

Justifying the strike during the ceasefire, the IDF said the two men had been preparing attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians and were seeking to rebuild Hamas’s military capabilities. It said these activities constituted a systematic violation of the ceasefire. The military said the strike was carried out to remove what it described as a threat.

Iran will not accept an end to war dictated by pressure or conditions from any aggressive party, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said at a Monday news conference. He said Tehran did not initiate the war and has adopted a defensive position to protect its territorial sovereignty and security. Iran will not allow the terms for ending the conflict to be determined by an aggressor, he added.

Baghaei said there was no room for compromise with aggressors. Addressing US officials’ claims that the Strait of Hormuz remains open, he described the statements as part of psychological and media-based propaganda by the opposing side, saying conditions on the ground do not match those claims.

He also called Iran’s maritime blockade a direct act of aggression, warning that Iran’s hands were not tied and that the consequences would not be good. Baghaei said other countries have no right under international law to cooperate with the United States in such actions. He added that Iran and Pakistan are interested in expanding bilateral cooperation, describing relations as currently at a very good level following Pakistani army chief Asim Munir’s visit to Tehran.

The United States Department of State has released details of newly targeted sanctions under previously announced comprehensive measures against Iran. The restrictions aim to curb Tehran’s military capabilities, drone and missile programs, cyberattacks, and illicit oil trade. Iranian military officials and several entities have been included in the new sanctions list.

The measures target people linked to weapons procurement and directing attacks on US forces, as well as institutions accused of gathering intelligence to target the United States and its regional allies. A procurement network supplying equipment for Iran’s military and missile programs was also blacklisted.

The sanctions additionally cover a large cargo shipping company and intermediary network involved in transporting and trading Iranian energy products through the United Arab Emirates, China, Singapore and Europe. The FBI recently charged eight Iranian nationals over cyberattacks on critical US infrastructure. The State Department reiterated a reward of up to $10 million for information on five leading cyberattack suspects and called on the international community to work with Washington to hold those responsible accountable.

The US military said Monday that it carried out a strike on an alleged drug-smuggling vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing two people. US Southern Command said the Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere conducted the lethal operation on Sunday against a low-profile vessel travelling along a known drug-trafficking route.

The announcement marked the first reported strike of this kind after a pause of more than two months. Before that break, the US military had destroyed at least 67 vessels and killed at least 221 people since Operation Southern Spear began in September 2025.

Southcom commander General Francis L. Donovan reaffirmed the US military commitment against drug trafficking. He said the United States aims to apply comprehensive pressure on what he called narco-terrorists, disrupt their operations, dismantle their leadership and eliminate cartel terrorism across the region. Donovan described the operation as a demonstration of lethal precision, sustained capability and determination to protect the US homeland.

Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir arrived in Tehran on Monday for a visit focused on discussions over regional peace and stability. He met Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni after reaching the Iranian capital, according to the report. Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi is accompanying Field Marshal Munir on the trip.

Iran’s Fars news agency reported that Munir is scheduled to hold discussions with senior Iranian officials during the visit. Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations said in a statement issued Monday that the trip is part of Pakistan’s efforts to promote regional peace and stability.

ISPR said Munir will also focus on advancing efforts for a peaceful and lasting resolution to the Middle East conflict during his visit. The source did not provide details of the talks with Momeni or specify which additional Iranian officials Munir is expected to meet.

Iran said countries have no reason to fear Tehran unless they allow parties involved in aggression against Iran to use their bases, facilities or equipment. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei made the remarks at a weekly press conference on Monday, responding to reports that European-based US installations could become targets if European countries again joined aggression against Iran.

Baghaei said Iran had also heard reports that several KC-135 tanker aircraft had left Bulgaria. The reports said the aircraft departed amid Tehran’s stern warnings about third-country support for aggression against Iran and local protests. He said Iran had previously made its position on Bulgaria clear.

According to Baghaei, some Bulgarian citizens and politicians had described allowing national facilities to be used for US attacks on Iran as contrary to international law. He said Iran had no dispute with the Bulgarian people, while characterizing participation in actions targeting the Islamic Republic as aggression. He also asserted that Iran has the right to take countermeasures against sources of attacks on its territory and would not show flexibility in defending its territorial integrity and security.

Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, has travelled to Iran as discussion grows over whether Iran-Pakistan dialogue could reshape security arrangements around the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian journalist Reza Afzal Samir said Pakistan holds an important place in Iran’s strategic calculations because it has the capacity to take effective action and help create a practical path toward peace.

Samir said Pakistan should use its influence rather than remain silent and inactive. He said progress in Hormuz discussions could accelerate following Munir’s visit, adding that a deadline for a final agreement between Iran and Oman on the strait may be approaching.

Samir said that if Munir succeeds in bringing Iran back to the negotiating table, Iran and Oman could issue a new announcement on the strait soon afterward. Andreas Krieg, an associate professor of defence studies at King’s College London, was more cautious, saying a meaningful outcome would be assurances that Iranian security agencies comply with any Hormuz agreement and restrain escalation through Yemen or Iraq if Qatar can secure reciprocal steps from the United States.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran and China could play an important role in building a fair international order, strengthening multilateralism, and ensuring peace and stability. Writing in an Iranian newspaper to mark 55 years of diplomatic relations, he said Tehran and Beijing seek to begin a new chapter of cooperation based on mutual trust and the firm political will of their leaders.

Araghchi described China as Iran’s “friend in difficult times” and said their cooperation on regional peace and security reflects a shared commitment to long-term stability. He said relations between Tehran and Beijing have deepened and expanded in recent years despite Western sanctions and maximum pressure on Iran. He also called China Iran’s main economic partner and praised its role in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, BRICS and the UN Security Council.

The foreign minister accused the United States and Israel of actions against Iran that he said violated international law, the UN Charter and moral principles. He urged peace-seeking countries to take more effective steps to protect international peace and security. Araghchi said Iran is ready to strengthen strategic ties with China and other members through SCO and BRICS frameworks.