Iranian president PEZESHKIAN said the US must decide whether it wants to end the war, when asked if the conflict could end before year‑end.

Financial Times/CREA: The number of vessels sailing under the Russian flag rose 36% to 382 between Jan 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026 as Moscow moves to keep oil and gas exports flowing amid Western sanctions. The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) found that more than 80% of ships added to the Russian register since early 2025 were previously sanctioned; many are tankers or long-haul export vessels. Maritime analytics firm Windward AI reports EU/US authorities have seized at least 23 shadow-fleet vessels flying so-called false flags since Dec 2024. CREA also says the count of false-flag vessels fell from 101 in Oct 2025 to 45 at end-June 2026. CREA analyst Luke Weickenden: Russia’s ship registry has become a one-way haven for sanctioned vessels — for every ship leaving, about nine enter.

China's deputy UN permanent representative Sun Lei told a meeting of foreign ministers of landlocked developing countries on the 24th that these countries still face major structural constraints and that implementing the 2024–2034 Ten‑Year Avaza Programme of Action is urgent. China said it supports the UN's coordinating role, called on the international community to increase practical assistance, and urged turning the programme's commitments into concrete measures.