Afghanistan

What is Pakistan's army chief doing in Iran as tensions with US escalate? - analysis

The visit comes as the US appears to be considering new strikes on Iran. Israel is also on edge as elections approach. There are many factors at play.

Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir attends a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the Great Hall of the People on May 25, 2026 in Beijing, China.
US President Donald Trump listens to a reporters question in the Oval Office at the White House on September 28, 2026 in Washington, DC.; illustrative

Military execution of Foot Hood gunman will not be livestreamed, Trump says

In this photo released by the Bell County Sheriff's Office, U.S. Maj. Nidal Hasan, the Army psychiatrist who is charged with murder in the Fort Hood shootings, is seen in a booking photo after being moved to the Bell County Jail on April 9, 2010 in Belton, Texas; illustrative

Retired US military officers urge government to cancel livestream of Fort Hood shooter's execution

Now, when Israel looks out at the map, it has an alliance with two countries that face Iran directly across the Gulf

Middle East economy to shrink 2.1% in 2026, Gulf economies by 4.3%, World Bank forecasts


Powerful bomb explodes near train in Pakistan's Quetta, killing at least 24

The attack, which killed at least 24 people and injured more than 70, was the latest in a series of major strikes on infrastructure in the Pakistani province that borders Iran and Afghanistan.

People gather as they search for survivors after a blast near a railway track in Quetta, Pakistan, May 24, 2026. Picture taken with a mobile phone

Russia says it's establishing 'full-fledged partnership' with Afghan Taliban

Russia sees a need to work with Kabul as it faces a major security threat from Islamist militant groups based in a string of countries from Afghanistan to the Middle East.

Taliban security personnel climb barefoot up a steep and sandy mountainside on a weekend at the Sayad area of Reg-e-Rawan in Kapisa province on April 24, 2026.

Iranian regime relying on foreign militias to bolster security efforts, suppress protests - report

Iran’s government has not officially acknowledged the role of these foreign militias.

A member of Iranian militia forces (Basij) gestures during an anti-Israeli march in Tehran, Iran, January 10, 2025; illustrative.

Fourteen Pakistani police officers killed in car bombing, ambush in Bannu

Three personnel have been found alive and transferred to the hospital, the officer added.

Residents gather as heavy machinery clears the rubble of a damaged police post after a car bombing in Bannu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan May 10, 2026. Picture taken with a mobile phone.

Arrest of Pakistani journalist spurs dispute over Al-Qaida allegations

Supporters of Muhammad Saad bin Riaz say the accusations do not match his work as a researcher and journalist focused on regional conflicts and information warfare.

Muhammad Saad bin Riaz

Trump considering plan to send Afghan refugees who helped US to Congo - NYT

AfghanEvac President Shawn VanDiver criticized the move, describing it as giving the refugees a choice between "the world’s number one refugee crisis to the world’s number two refugee crisis.”

Evacuees from Afghanistan arrive at Hamad International Airport in Qatar's capital Doha on September 10, 2021.

Taliban arrests senior co-founder Mullah Mutasim Agha Jan amid deepening internal rifts

Agha Jan, a close associate of the late Taliban founder Mullah Mohammad Omar, served as finance minister in the group’s first government prior to the 9/11 attacks.

Mutasim Agha Jan.

Australian former soldier gets bail on Afghanistan war crime charges

Police arrested and charged Ben Roberts-Smith, 47, with five counts of war crimes last week over the murder of five unarmed Afghan civilians between 2009 and 2012.

Former Australian Defence Force soldier Ben Roberts-Smith's parents, Len and Sue Roberts-Smith, leave the Downing Centre Courts after Ben Roberts-Smith was granted bail in Sydney, Australia, April 17, 2026.

Afghan women’s rights advocates urge Melania Trump to support girls facing Taliban restrictions

Over 100 Afghan women’s rights defenders have written to Melania Trump, urging her to help restore education and freedom to Afghan women and girls under Taliban rule.

Taliban Deputy Spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat speaks during a press conference about the conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan, in Kabul, Afghanistan, March 3, 2026.

Gas pipeline blown up in southern Pakistan by unknown assailants, says official

It suspended gas supply to several parts of the city and at least five more districts, the official said.

(Illustrative) sign indicating the location of the Millenium Pipeline buried under a cut in the forest, March 30, 2026.