ISLAMABAD, Aug 25 (Reuters) - Pakistan and Iran made "significant progress" in talks that focused on the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and a path to peace, Pakistan's interior minister said on Tuesday, at the end of a visit to Tehran.

Talks between the two sides focused on measures to prevent further escalation, reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and an expedited termination of the conflict, a statement from the Pakistani military said about the meeting between the country's army chief, Asim Munir, and the Iranian leadership.

By Feras Dalatey

DAMASCUS, Aug 24 (Reuters) - The United States removed Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism on Monday, lifting what Damascus says was the last major impediment to investing in the country as Washington deepens ties to the new Syrian government.

The removal, posted on the U.S. Treasury's website, took effect after a 45-day congressional review period triggered when Trump formally notified Congress on July 8 of his intention to rescind the designation.

Six months since the start of the

After decades of urging the United States to attack Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu finally got his wish. But after six months of inconclusive hostilities, Israel may ultimately find itself in a worse position than it was before the war.

The Islamic republic, which Netanyahu has long cast as an existential threat, has not only survived but appears emboldened.

At an impromptu press conference last week, US President Donald Trump waxed lyrical about his helipad, his ballroom and his granite paving

Like many Kuwaitis, Ghanim Alsulaimani still vividly remembers Iraqi tanks rolling through his hometown when his small Gulf state faced extinction had US troops not liberated it from invasion.

Now, decades later and six months into the US-Iran war, some are seeing those same American troops as more of a liability than an asset, as their presence has put Kuwait in Tehran's line of fire.

By John Geddie, Yukiko Toyoda, Ben Blanchard and Aftab Ahmed

TOKYO/TAIPEI/NEW DELHI, Aug 24 (Reuters) - Donald Trump's olive branch to North Korea's Kim Jong Un at the expense of a long-standingally comes at a pivotal moment for U.S. security ties in Asia, as partners from Japan to India reassess how much they can rely on Washington.

By David Lawder and Humeyra Pamuk

WASHINGTON, Aug 24 (Reuters) - The U.S. on Monday unveiled an expansion of sanctions that it said would cut off Iran's economic lifeline but stopped short of the most punishing measures, instead putting the world on notice to cease doing business with the Islamic Republic.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said other countries would need to sever business ties with Iran or risk being forced out of the dollar-based financial system.

By David Lawder and Humeyra Pamuk

WASHINGTON, Aug 24 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's administration on Monday warned countries to cut their business ties with Iran or face secondary sanctions as part of what it billed as an "economic D-Day," but the Treasury Department stopped short of actually imposing penalties.

As the war with Iran nears its six-month mark, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. was launching an "economic onslaught" against Iran's financial connections around the globe.

By Jason Lange

WASHINGTON, Aug 24 (Reuters) - U.S. public approval of the war with Iran fell to its lowest level since the conflict's early days, helping to hold President Donald Trump's popularity at a record low, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed on Monday.