Pakistan has launched fresh airstrikes on 10 sites in Afghanistan, saying the targets were linked to drone attacks and militant activity against Pakistan. The strikes come amid a sharp rise in tensions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, following reported drone incursions, cross-border firing and a deadly militant attack in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Pakistan says the latest strikes were “deliberate, precise, calibrated and limited” and focused on military and militant targets. Islamabad has linked the escalation to groups it identifies as Fitna-ul-Khawarij and TTP, while the Afghan Taliban has denied responsibility for attacks against Pakistan and rejected Islamabad’s accusations. Pakistan also said its forces recently shot down eight drones that entered its airspace from Afghanistan, with four intercepted near Torkham and four near Kohat. WATCH

US President Donald Trump has signed a sweeping new sanctions law targeting Russia and Iran, escalating Washington’s economic pressure as the wider Iran war continues to reshape the geopolitical landscape. The legislation expands the pressure on Russia while extending existing Iran sanctions, with the new framework also giving Washington additional tariff powers against major buyers of Russian energy. At the same time, Trump has said the Iran war could come to an end soon and suggested that energy prices could eventually fall sharply once the conflict winds down. The comments come as disruption around the Strait of Hormuz continues to keep global oil markets on edge, with the wider Middle East conflict raising fresh concerns over energy security and shipping routes. Meanwhile, Tehran is pushing for a diplomatic route to revive the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding with the United States. Iranian officials say efforts are underway to resolve outstanding issues and expect the other side to honour its commitments under the agreement. Pakistan has also stressed the importance of implementing the Islamabad MoU as a way to help defuse regional tensions.