The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has announced that its executive board was briefed by staff on economic developments in Afghanistan, Iran, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, and Yemen on Friday.

IMF said that it was an informal board briefing.

It has not provided further details.

The Trump administration is considering issuing sweeping travel restrictions for the citizens of dozens of countries as part of a new ban, Reuters reported citing sources and a memo.

The memo lists a total of 41 countries divided into three separate groups. The first group of 10 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Cuba and North Korea among others, would be set for a full visa suspension.

In the second group, five countries — Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar and South Sudan — would face partial suspensions that would impact tourist and student visas as well as other immigrant visas, with some exceptions.

In the third group, a total of 26 countries that includes Belarus, Pakistan and Turkmenistan among others would be considered for a partial suspension of U.S. visa issuance if their governments “do not make efforts to address deficiencies within 60 days”, the memo said.

A U.S. official speaking on the condition of anonymity cautioned there could be changes on the list and that it was yet to be approved by the administration, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The New York Times first reported on the list of countries.

The move harkens back to President Donald Trump’s first term ban on travelers from seven majority-Muslim nations, a policy that went through several iterations before it was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018.

Trump issued an executive order on January 20 requiring intensified security vetting of any foreigners seeking admission to the U.S. to detect national security threats.

That order directed several cabinet members to submit by March 21 a list of countries from which travel should be partly or fully suspended because their “vetting and screening information is so deficient.”

Trump’s directive is part of an immigration crackdown that he launched at the start of his second term.

He previewed his plan in an October 2023 speech, pledging to restrict people from the Gaza Strip, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen and “anywhere else that threatens our security.”

The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.

The Ministry of Energy and Water says Iran is determined to cooperate with Afghanistan in implementing water and energy development projects.

These remarks were made by Ali Reza Bikdeli, the acting ambassador of Iran in Kabul, during a meeting with Abdul Latif Mansour, the acting minister of Energy and Water.

In this meeting, the two sides also emphasized the need for developing and expanding cooperation between Kabul and Tehran, and discussed issues related to water shortages and droughts.

Mansour added that Afghanistan has created investment opportunities and that the Islamic Emirate welcomes developmental and economic cooperation with neighboring countries.

Meanwhile, private sector members have stated that economic relations with Iran can be expanded, and this could be important for economic stability between the two countries.