Sohrab Sarwari

The transit and movement of commercial goods between Afghanistan and Iran are continuing as normal, despite the ongoing conflict in the neighbouring country, with up to 1,300 cargo trucks crossing through the Islam Qala border in western Herat province each day.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is scheduled to meet on Afghanistan today (Monday) with representatives from several regional countries in attendance.

The US State Department has instructed non-essential personnel and their family members at the US embassy in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, to leave the country, media reports said on Monday.

The Afghanistan Standards and Quality Authority (ASQA) has returned 25.455 tonnes of substandard iron girders to the exporting country after comprehensive inspections, as the materials failed to meet domestic standards.

A senior member of Islamic State Khorasan Province (IS-K), also known as Daesh and the planner of last year’s attack on a Kabul Bank branch in northern Kunduz province, has been killed by unidentified gunmen in Peshawar, Al-Mirsad reported on Sunday.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said the country’s interim leadership council has approved a decision to halt attacks on neighbouring countries unless Iran itself comes under attack from their territory.

The President of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian, says several countries have begun efforts to mediate between Iran, the United States and Israel.

Iran’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, says more than 1,300 civilians, including women and children, have been killed and thousands of others wounded as a result of US-Israeli strikes on the country.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says about 115,000 people have been displaced in Afghanistan and nearly 3,000 others in Pakistan following recent clashes between the two countries.

Iran’s Foreign Minister, Syed Abbas Araqchi, has condemned the sinking of an Iranian warship by the United States, calling it as “a crime” and warning that Washington will “deeply regret” its actions.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has expressed concern over the ongoing tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, warning that the situation could further worsen conditions for Afghan returnees.

Iran has warned that it will target Israel’s Dimona nuclear reactor if the United States and Israel attempt to change the Iranian government.