Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a mutual-defense agreement on Aug. 7 as Saudi Arabia seeks broader security partnerships amid the wider war involving Iran and Gulf states.
A UNHCR population-movement map dated July 22 says renewed Afghanistan-Pakistan hostilities are creating new internal displacement while the wider region’s humanitarian systems face rising protection needs and possible cross-border movement.
Vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has dwindled while Iran and Oman continue talks over a possible arrangement for the strategic waterway. No formal agreement has been established.
The United Nations and partner organizations launched a $529.2 million plan in Kabul to support 2.7 million Afghans projected to return from Iran and Pakistan in 2026.
Iran said August 5 that negotiations with Oman over an arrangement for the Strait of Hormuz had reached their final stage, while U.S. officials said a deal was close but unresolved.
U.S. stocks moved lower on Aug. 6 as rising oil prices and mixed technology earnings weighed on markets, while European shares were mostly higher and Asian markets closed mostly lower.
The United Nations urged the United States and Iran to maintain restraint and return to diplomacy, while emphasizing the importance of unified Security Council support for the ceasefire.
Donald Trump said on August 3 that negotiations with Iran could lead to reopening the Strait of Hormuz, while saying Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates urged him not to launch major new strikes.
A July 22 UNHCR situation update says escalating hostilities are worsening protection risks and putting additional pressure on countries already hosting more than 31 million forcibly displaced people and recent returnees.
Iran and Oman are reportedly working on a possible plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as Israel strikes southern Lebanon and warns civilians to evacuate another village.
Asian stocks surged and oil prices eased on August 5 as investors weighed strong earnings and tentative hopes for a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran and Oman are discussing a possible Hormuz reopening, but route coordination, proposed service fees and permanent control remain separate and unsettled questions.
UNCTAD says global trade value rose sharply in early 2026, but higher energy, shipping and commodity prices explain part of the increase.
Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE helped open diplomatic space after Trump held off on new Iran strikes, but no final U.S.-Iran agreement exists.
Iran and Oman have made progress toward safer Strait of Hormuz shipping, but no final deal is in place as Gulf allies press Washington to pause.
UN experts urged Iran to halt executions after two men in an Isfahan protest case were executed and 10 other defendants remained at risk.
A failed Senate vote left the FY2027 defense authorization bill stalled amid a dispute over Iran war powers, military policy and congressional oversight.
Trump says renewed U.S.-Iran contacts could reopen Hormuz, while Iran describes Oman talks as temporary. The real test is safe, equal transit.
Trump says talks with Iran will begin Monday after strikes were delayed, but Tehran says its Oman discussions concern Strait of Hormuz navigation.
Trump paused planned U.S. strikes on Iran, but no final deal exists as attacks, shipping risks and travel warnings keep the diplomatic opening uncertain.
Trump says U.S. strikes on Iran will pause while talks pursue a framework for Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear program, but no final deal has been accepted.
President Donald Trump said U.S.-Iran talks would begin Aug. 3 after he delayed threatened “massive” strikes, creating a possible diplomatic opening in a conflict that has lasted about five months.
