geopolitics

GBP/USD falls as Trump reinstates Iran naval blockade

The British pound slid against the U.S. dollar on Tuesday as markets digested President Donald Trump's announcement that the United States would reinstate its naval blockade of Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, escalating a conflict that has rattled global…

Goldman projects Gulf pipelines can bypass 60% of Hormuz oil by 2027

The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz since the U.S.-Iran conflict began in February has catalyzed what may become a permanent reshaping of Gulf energy infrastructure, as producers fast-track pipeline projects and analysts project a future where the world's…

Bitcoin slides as Trump reinstates Iran blockade, proposes Hormuz cargo fee

Bitcoin fell more than 2% on Monday after President Donald Trump announced the reinstatement of what he called the "Iranian Blockade" in the Strait of Hormuz and proposed a 20% cargo fee on all ships transiting the waterway, rattling risk…

Sports federations begin readmitting Russian athletes after IOC lifts ban

The International Table Tennis Federation on Monday confirmed the reinstatement of athletes holding Russian passports, while the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne lifted all sanctions against Russian competitors, making them among the first sports to formally welcome Russia back following…

Copper, base metals slide as US-Iran crisis reignites

Base metals including copper came under pressure on Monday as a fresh escalation in US-Iran hostilities reignited concerns about global economic growth and the outlook for industrial demand. The pullback in growth-sensitive commodities came after Iran again declared the Strait…

Rand, rupiah slide as U.S.-Iran strikes rattle EM markets

The South African rand and Indonesian rupiah weakened on Monday as a fresh escalation in the U.S.-Iran conflict drove investors away from emerging market assets, with both currencies facing renewed selling pressure amid deteriorating global risk appetite.

OPEC cuts 2026 oil demand forecast for third straight month

OPEC on Sunday lowered its 2026 global oil demand growth forecast to 780,000 barrels per day, marking the third consecutive monthly downward revision, as the producer group's latest Monthly Oil Market Report pointed to lingering effects from geopolitical disruptions in…

KOSPI plunges nearly 9% as chip rout and Hormuz crisis collide

South Korea's benchmark Kospi plunged 8.95% on Monday, shedding 669 points to close at 6,806.93 and falling below the 7,000-point mark for the first time in more than two months. The crash, which analysts are calling a "Black Monday" selloff,…

Trump demands 20% toll on Strait of Hormuz cargo, renews blockade

President Donald Trump on Monday declared that the United States would reassert control over the Strait of Hormuz, demanding a 20% reimbursement on cargo transiting the waterway and positioning America as the strait's protector, according to Reuters. The announcement marks…

Oil surges, global stocks slide after Iran closes Strait of Hormuz

Oil prices surged and global stocks fell broadly on Monday after the United States carried out a fresh wave of airstrikes against Iran over the weekend and Tehran declared the Strait of Hormuz closed to commercial traffic, reigniting fears of…

Trump says US will ‘probably’ take over Strait of Hormuz and get paid

President Donald Trump said Monday that the United States would "probably" take over the Strait of Hormuz and demanded that other nations reimburse Washington for the costs of protecting the critical waterway, escalating his rhetoric as American and Iranian forces…

GCC Q2 earnings set to expose uneven toll of Iran war

Gulf Cooperation Council companies are entering an earnings season that will provide the clearest financial picture yet of how the ongoing Iran conflict has reshaped the region's corporate landscape, with analysts expecting a mixed bag of results that vary sharply…

Saudi-UAE rift forces Wall Street to pick sides amid $3T stake

The deepening fracture between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates is now reverberating through global finance, with major Wall Street institutions caught between two of the world's largest pools of sovereign capital as the Gulf rivals diverge over oil…

European gas prices top 50 EUR/MWh amid Hormuz crisis

European wholesale natural gas prices surged on Monday, with the Dutch TTF benchmark rising above 50 euros per megawatt-hour for the first time in over a month, as renewed hostilities between the United States and Iran over the Strait of…

Bitcoin slides as U.S.-Iran strikes send oil surging

Bitcoin fell more than 2% in early Asian trading on Monday as oil prices surged following a fresh round of U.S. airstrikes on Iran, reigniting inflation fears and dampening appetite for risk assets across global markets.

Gold slips as U.S.-Iran conflict fuels rate hike fears

Gold prices headed for a decline in early Asian trading on Monday as the escalating U.S.-Iran conflict created a paradox for precious metals: geopolitical risk that would typically support bullion was instead being overshadowed by a stronger dollar and expectations…

US launches new strikes on Iran as Waltz says ceasefire has ‘broken down’

The United States launched another wave of strikes against Iran on Sunday, marking the fifth round of attacks this week, as the ceasefire between Washington and Tehran collapsed and fighting over the Strait of Hormuz intensified into the most dangerous…

Iran strikes Gulf states after U.S. hits 140 targets overnight

The United States struck approximately 140 Iranian military targets overnight Saturday as the fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran unraveled following Iran's attack on a commercial container ship and declaration that the Strait of Hormuz was closed "until further notice."…

Zhipu founder says frontier AI should be open to all

Tang Jie, co-founder of Chinese AI company Zhipu, has publicly argued that frontier artificial intelligence models should remain openly accessible to all rather than restricted to a handful of organizations, framing the open-source approach as essential to both safety and…

Bitcoin holds near $64K as U.S. strikes Iran, Hormuz closed

Bitcoin traded in a narrow range around $63,850 on Saturday, showing muted reaction even as the United States launched its most extensive round of strikes against Iran and Tehran declared the Strait of Hormuz closed to shipping.

Iran’s new supreme leader vows revenge as Trump threatens to ‘decimate’ country

President Donald Trump warned Iran that "1,000 missiles are locked and loaded" and that the U.S. military stands ready to "completely decimate and destroy all areas" of the country if Iranian leaders attempt to carry out an assassination plot against…

QNB warns Asia’s energy crisis will persist into 2027

Qatar National Bank released a report on Saturday warning that Asian economies face a protracted energy crisis stemming from the US-Iran military escalation, with regional inflation projected to remain elevated well into early 2027 even as diplomatic efforts advance toward…

Crack spreads top $60 as refining margins hit records

The gap between what refineries pay for crude oil and what they earn selling gasoline and diesel has blown past all previous records, with the benchmark 3-2-1 crack spread reaching $58.18 per barrel this week and climbing toward $62 by…

Iran says UAE ‘must be held accountable’ after US eases export controls

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi accused the United Arab Emirates of complicity in the U.S.-led military campaign against Iran, saying Abu Dhabi "must be held accountable" after a U.S. government document explicitly credited the Gulf state for supporting Operation…

Eni CEO warns oil could break above $100 by early 2027

Claudio Descalzi, CEO of Eni, warned that the global oil market risks breaking out of its current $80-to-$100-per-barrel range by the first quarter of 2027 at the latest, a move that would boost inflation and strain energy-importing economies, according to…

ECB faces conflicting signals as inflation cools but Middle East conflict reignites risks

France's statistics office INSEE confirmed on Friday that consumer prices rose 2.0% year-on-year in June on an EU-harmonized basis, a sharp deceleration from 2.8% in May. The monthly harmonized reading fell 0.3%, driven by a decline in energy costs —…

Satellite images show Iran rebuilding bombed nuclear sites

Exclusive satellite imagery obtained and analyzed by CNN shows signs that Iran may be attempting to rebuild nuclear facilities struck by the United States and Israel, even as a top United Nations official warned the Security Council on Thursday of…

Crude oil falls sharply as OPEC+ output and record U.S. production overwhelm supply fears

Crude oil prices extended their decline on Friday, with West Texas Intermediate falling below $72 per barrel and Brent crude dropping to around $76.80, as markets weighed a complex mix of returning Iranian supply, rising OPEC+ output, and record U.S.…

Dollar slides as Trump agrees to resume Iran talks

The US Dollar Index fell on Friday, extending its losing streak to a third consecutive session, after President Donald Trump said the United States had agreed to Iran's request to continue negotiations, boosting risk appetite and reducing demand for the…

Oil prices fall despite near-halt in Hormuz tanker traffic

Crude oil prices fell on Thursday despite a fresh escalation in hostilities between the United States and Iran, as traders weighed demand destruction risks from persistent inflation against supply disruption fears in the Strait of Hormuz.