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Explainer: After nine straight nights of strikes, where is the US-Iran conflict headed?

The US carried out a ninth consecutive night of military strikes against Iran early on Monday, targeting command centres, missile facilities, air defence systems, maritime assets and communications infrastructure. The latest developments indicate the conflict is expanding beyond direct military exchanges, with growing implications for regional security, global energy supplies and international shipping. Here is what to know. Why are the US strikes continuing? President Donald Trump said US forces had struck Iran “very hard,” describing the operations as retaliation for the deaths of US service members in the Middle East. The latest casualty on the US side came in northern Iraq, where a service member was killed during the controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance recovered from a downed Iranian drone. According to American media, at least 17 US soldiers have been killed since Feb 28, when the US and Israel attacked Iran. Strait of Hormuz at the heart of the co...
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Afghan Taliban carry out over 1,100 floggings, six public executions in past year

The Afghan Taliban flogged at least 1,186 people and carried out six public executions in Afghanistan during the the last year – March 2025 to March 2026. The official statements and data compiled by an Afghan television channel, and drawn from statements issued by the Taliban’s Supreme Court, indicate the continued application of corporal punishment in most parts of the country. The total excluded the final 12 days of July 11 to 22, implying that the actual number of floggings could be higher. These punishments took place across dozens of provinces, including Kabul, Herat, Balkh, Kandahar, Nangarhar, Khost, Badakhshan, Ghor, Paktia, Paktika, Faryab, Laghman, Kapisa, Parwan, Uruzgan, Zabul, Kunar, Maidan Wardak, Ghazni, Kunduz, Baghlan, Takhar, Badghis, Farah, Nimroz, Logar, Jawzjan, Helmand, Sar-e-Pul, Daikundi and Bamiyan. Read More: Govt rejects Afghan Taliban’s claim of Pakistan breaking truce Taliban court statements showed an increase in the use of corporal punishment during the latter months of the year, with women also subjected to such measures. Official data revealed that nearly 100 women were flogged over an eight-month period, with many of these punishments conducted in public. Human rights advocates described the expansion of corporal punishment as reflective of wider restrictions under Taliban rule, raising serious concerns regarding due process and fundamental freedoms. Abdul Ahad Farzam, a human rights researcher, stated that the persistence of these practices could lead to long-term consequences. “These punishments violate basic human rights standards and create a climate of fear in society,” he said. Public executions were also implemented during the year under the principle of qisas, or retributive justice, with residents in at least four provinces witnessing such events. In the most recent instance, a man was executed in a sports stadium in Khost in the presence of thousands of spectators, including children. Other executions were reported in Badghis (where three individuals were put to death), as well as one each in Farah and Nimroz. Additionally, the Taliban introduced a new penal code during the year, which drew widespread international criticism for its severity and inadequate due process protections. isolates Afghanistan and heightens concerns over the protection of basic freedoms under Taliban rule.

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At least 32 miners dead after bridge fails at cobalt site in southeast DR Congo

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Arab countries, Pakistan likely to observe Eid on same day

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