Thursday

August 20, 2026

Armed conflicts and attacks

Middle Eastern crisis

2026 Iran war

2026 United States military buildup in the Middle East

The USS George Washington arrives in the Middle East to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln amidst a nine-month deployment and reports of mental health challenges among the crew and supply shortages on the aircraft carrier during the Iran war. (AP) (The Guardian)

2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis

Data from Kpler shows that seven ships have passed through the Strait of Hormuz, with four entering and three exiting the waterway. (Reuters)

Gaza war, Palestinian war crimes

The Israel Defense Forces accuses Hamas of using the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis to carry out interrogations and torture Palestinians. (The Jerusalem Post)

Mali War

2026 Mali offensives

Human Rights Watch reports that Africa Corps forces summarily killed nine civilians, including four children, in Mali last month. (Al Jazeera) (HRW)

Sudanese civil war

Kordofan campaign

The Sudan People's Liberation Movement–North led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu regains control of Kauda, South Kordofan, following two days of clashes with Otoro fighters. (Sudan Tribune)

Myanmar civil war

Unexploded ordnance from past fighting is detonated after being tampered with in Maungdaw Township, Rakhine State, Myanmar, injuring ten children. (Burma News International)

Business and economy

LSEG data shows that a vessel in France is loading wheat destined for Sudan, marking the first export of wheat from France to Sudan since August 2008. (Baird Maritime)