Newsroom
Short, verified market news summaries; every item names its source and publication date.
Global silver jumps more than 3% Tuesday to around $59, a one-week high
Silver climbed more than 3% in Tuesday's session (30 Tir 1405, 21 July 2026), reaching around $59 an ounce, and touched roughly $59.7 during the day, its highest in about a week. Some estimates put the daily gain at close to 5%. The main driver was a pause in the oil-price rally and market hopes that mediators could revive negotiations and a ceasefire between the United States and Iran, easing fears of energy-driven inflation and, in turn, the odds of a Federal Reserve rate hike, which supported precious metals. Technically, silver also broke the descending trendline of the past several weeks. Silver had fallen about 9% over the previous month but remains roughly 50% higher than a year ago. Tuesday's advance came alongside global gold's return above $4,000 an ounce.
FXStreet · Jul 21, 2026
Pentagon says nearly 100 US troops injured since strikes on Iran resumed
The Pentagon said on Monday, 20 July 2026, that nearly 100 US service members have suffered some degree of injury since the United States resumed strikes on Iran on 7 July (16 Tir). Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said most of the injuries were minor concussions and that about 96 percent of those affected had returned to duty. The figure was released amid the continuing exchange of strikes between Washington and Tehran and rising tension around the Strait of Hormuz. The intensity and persistence of the confrontation is one of the key drivers of swings in Iran's currency and gold markets and of global oil prices, and investors track it as a gauge of whether the crisis is escalating or easing.
The Irish Times · Jul 21, 2026
Tehran Stock Exchange index climbs 74,000 points on Tuesday to 4.89 million
Tehran's benchmark index closed Tuesday, 30 Tir 1405 (21 July 2026), up 74,046 points, or 1.54 percent, at 4,887,551. The equal weighted index also rose about 26,000 points, a sign the gains were not confined to large caps but reached the broader market, with roughly 94 percent of symbols finishing higher. According to exchange board data, retail turnover in shares, rights offerings and equity funds reached about 11,492 billion tomans, and close to 3.7 trillion tomans of net real money inflow entered the equity market. The advance came even as markets stayed sensitive to the war and to swings in the currency and gold, with part of equity demand typically reflecting inflation expectations.
روزنامه تعادل · Jul 21, 2026
US stock futures rise on Tuesday as corporate earnings season gets underway
Futures on the main US stock indexes rose ahead of Tuesday's session, 30 Tir 1405 (21 July 2026): Dow Jones futures were up about 0.4 percent, S&P 500 futures about 0.5 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures about 1.4 percent. Investors are entering the heart of the corporate earnings season: General Motors and 3M report on Tuesday, while Alphabet, Tesla and IBM are due later in the week. Markets continue to track the US-Iran war; reports of a proposed 10-day ceasefire and a modest pullback in oil prices in early Tuesday trading helped improve risk appetite. For Iran's market, the direction of Wall Street and expectations for Federal Reserve interest rates matter through the channel of the dollar and global gold.
CNBC · Jul 21, 2026
Spot gold edges higher on Tuesday, holding above $4,000 but still near a nine-month low
Spot gold edged higher on Tuesday, 30 Tir 1405 (21 July 2026), trading in a roughly $4,020 to $4,045 range depending on the source, about half a percent to one percent above the previous day. Despite the small gain, gold remained close to its lowest level in nine months. The main pressure on gold comes from firming expectations of a Federal Reserve rate hike: a jump in oil prices amid the Strait of Hormuz crisis has revived concerns about energy-driven inflation and pushed US Treasury yields higher. Gold pays no yield, so higher interest rates typically dim its appeal. Moves in the global ounce feed directly into domestic gold and coin prices in Iran, and from there into households' asset markets.
اقتصاد آنلاین · Jul 21, 2026
Bitcoin hit a two-week high near $65,500 on Tuesday; Ethereum topped $1,900
The cryptocurrency market rose on Tuesday, 21 July 2026. Bitcoin gained about 0.8 percent to a two-week high near $65,500, and Ethereum rose about 1.5 percent to move above $1,900. According to CoinDesk, the advance came alongside a rebound in Asian chipmaker stocks and improving risk appetite in markets. Despite the price gains, the crypto Fear and Greed Index remained in extreme fear territory at 25. U.S. spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds have logged five straight trading days of inflows totaling more than $600 million. Traders view the Federal Reserve's late-July meeting as the next test for the market. In Iran's domestic market, tether is the main reference for crypto trading and moves in step with the free-market dollar rate.
CoinDesk · Jul 21, 2026
Tanker and ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz falls to its lowest in months
Maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen sharply amid the escalating military tensions between Iran and the United States. According to vessel-tracking data cited by CNN on Tuesday, 21 July 2026, only about 9 vessels passed through the waterway in the latest 24-hour window, compared with a pre-conflict daily average of roughly 130. Since the ceasefire collapsed around early July, at least seven commercial ships transiting the strait have been struck. About one fifth of the world's consumed crude oil passes through the strait, and the steep drop in traffic, together with a surge in tanker war-risk insurance premiums and the temporary suspension of major shipping lines, has added pressure to the energy supply chain and global oil prices.
CNN · Jul 21, 2026
Free-market dollar rose about 0.8 percent on Tuesday, back near 189,000 tomans
The free-market US dollar in Tehran moved higher on Tuesday, 21 July 2026 (30 Tir 1405). It was recorded near 187,700 tomans before the market opened and by midday had risen about 0.8 percent from the prior day to around 189,300 tomans, based on live market tracking. The increase followed a pullback of roughly 5,000 tomans on Monday, 20 July. The dollar's weekly chart still shows a gain of about 2 percent, and its recent high was around 194,500 tomans on Saturday, 18 July. The currency market has stayed volatile amid the military tensions between Iran and the United States and regional instability.
فرارو · Jul 21, 2026
Gold and Coins Retreat on Tuesday, July 21; Emami Coin Near 182 Million Tomans, 18-Karat Gram Around 18.1 Million
Iran's gold and coin market edged lower on Tuesday, July 21, 2026 (30 Tir 1405). According to the daily Donya-e-Eqtesad, the full Bahar Azadi (Emami) gold coin traded at around 182 million tomans and the half coin at about 92.5 million tomans during the session, both slightly below Monday, July 20, when the Emami coin had ranged between 183 and 185 million tomans. A gram of 18-karat gold was priced at roughly 18.1 million tomans on Tuesday. The domestic pullback tracked a swing in the global gold ounce around the 4,000 dollar area (near its lowest level in several months) and a relatively calmer currency market, with the free-market dollar hovering around 189,000 tomans the same day. Domestic gold prices are a product of the global ounce and the exchange rate, and those two variables set the daily direction of the coin market.
روزنامه دنیای اقتصاد · Jul 21, 2026
Global gold slips to about $4,008 on Tuesday, near a nine-month low
Spot gold slipped to around $4,008 an ounce on Tuesday, 21 July, holding just above the $4,000 mark and near its lowest level in nine months. The metal is down about 4 percent over the past month. Even as the US-Iran war continues, the jump in oil prices has raised inflation concerns and strengthened expectations that the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates higher for longer, a factor that weighs on gold and has kept safe-haven buying tied to geopolitical tension from lifting prices. Silver held firmer than gold the same day. The global gold price is the main benchmark for Iran's domestic gold and coin market.
Mining.com · Jul 21, 2026
Indian rupee slips to two-month low as oil above $90 weighs
The Indian rupee slid to around 96.5 per dollar as oil prices jumped on West Asia tensions, reaching its weakest level in two months by Monday, 20 July. Brent crude hovered near $90 the same day. India is one of the world's largest oil importers, and higher oil prices increase demand for dollars to pay for imports. The Reserve Bank of India has intervened in the spot and non-deliverable forward markets to support the rupee. India is an important trading partner of Iran and a destination for part of the region's commerce.
Business Recorder · Jul 21, 2026
Asian stocks rise on Tuesday, July 21, as Nikkei gains 2.2% and chipmakers rebound
Asia-Pacific stock markets rose on Tuesday, July 21, gaining for the first time in four days. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index climbed 1.7 percent, benchmark equity gauges in South Korea and Taiwan each rose more than 2.5 percent, and Japan's Nikkei 225 added 2.2 percent as trading resumed after a Monday holiday. The advance was led mainly by chipmakers, with Samsung Electronics and TSMC among the biggest contributors, while a pullback in oil prices helped improve risk appetite. The gains followed last week's slump, when the Nikkei fell about 6.4 percent on Friday. Investors are now awaiting earnings from technology megacaps this week for signs of whether the AI-driven rally can continue. The direction of Asian markets follows global risk sentiment and oil prices, and also feeds into expectations in Iran's market.
Investing.com · Jul 21, 2026
Brent slips toward $89 on Tuesday as mediation hopes ease war pressure on oil
Crude oil prices edged lower early on Tuesday, July 21, pulling back from the previous session's highest levels in over a month. Brent crude futures for September delivery fell about 35 cents, or 0.4 percent, to around $88.87 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate held near $82.47, little changed. On Monday, July 20, Brent had climbed above $90 as the intensifying U.S. and Iran conflict and disruption to Strait of Hormuz traffic tightened the supply outlook. The pullback was tied to reports that mediators are seeking a ten-day pause in the fighting and to Tehran's confirmation that it had received diplomatic proposals. Even so, reduced tanker traffic through Hormuz and a threatened naval blockade of Saudi Arabia by Yemen's Houthis kept a floor under prices. Swings in oil feed directly into Iran's export revenue, budget and currency expectations.
CNBC · Jul 21, 2026
Oman drafts a Strait of Hormuz traffic framework as Araghchi holds Muscat talks
As mediation efforts to revive a ceasefire continued, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met his Omani counterpart in Muscat on Saturday, with the talks reported to focus on the Strait of Hormuz. A source told CNN that Oman has drafted a tentative proposal to manage and monitor shipping traffic through the strait. According to reports, three negotiating tracks are running in parallel: indirect US-Iran talks mediated by Qatar in Doha, discussions on the nuclear timeline, and the Hormuz traffic-monitoring framework being drafted in Muscat. The strait has become the central sticking point, because fully reopening it could ease pressure on the oil market and on Iran's exchange rate.
Gulf News · Jul 21, 2026
IRGC says two tankers disabled in Strait of Hormuz as Brent tops $90
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Monday, July 20, 2026, that it had disabled two oil tankers that tried to cross the Strait of Hormuz without permission, using what it called an unsafe route. According to the IRGC, both vessels were left immobilized after explosions. The British military separately reported seeing a ship on fire near the Omani coast in the strait. The incident came amid the continuing nightly US strikes on Iran, with traffic through Hormuz already at a near standstill. Oil prices climbed further on the news, with Brent crude topping $90 a barrel for the first time since June 11. Roughly a fifth of the world's oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz, so any disruption feeds directly into Iran's foreign-currency earnings and domestic markets.
NPR · Jul 21, 2026
US stocks reversed intraday gains to close slightly lower Monday
US equities closed slightly lower on Monday, July 20 (29 Tir). The S&P 500 slipped 0.19 percent to 7,443.28, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 307 points (0.59 percent) to 51,839.26, and the Nasdaq Composite edged down 0.05 percent to 25,508.07. After turning higher at midday on a recovery in chipmaker shares and diplomatic signals from Tehran, the market gave back part of its gains as rising oil prices, driven by fresh military exchanges between the US and Iran, weighed on sentiment into the close. Investors are focused on the megacap technology earnings season and the Federal Reserve meeting on July 29 (7 Mordad).
CNBC · Jul 21, 2026
US begins 10th consecutive night of strikes on Iran; Shiraz and Khomein among new targets
US forces began a tenth consecutive night of air strikes on Iran at around midnight Tehran time on Tuesday, 30 Tir (4 p.m. Monday US Eastern time). US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the stated aim was to further degrade Iran's military capability to target commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian media reported explosions in Bandar Abbas, Shiraz and Sirik in the south and in Khomein in central Iran. According to CBS News, the fresh round follows the killing of three US service members and the wounding of nearly 100 in recent weeks. A US official told Axios that talks between the two countries were continuing even as the strikes went ahead. President Donald Trump said on Monday that Iran would pay "many times over" for every US service member killed. The continuing conflict and the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz have been the main driver of recent weeks' surge in global oil and gold prices and the sharp swings in Iran's currency market.
CBS News · Jul 21, 2026
Iran Rejects Implementing 14-Point Deal; 10-Day Ceasefire Proposal Would Lift Strait of Hormuz Restrictions
Mediators on Monday, July 20, 2026, presented Iran with a proposal for a 10-day ceasefire to lower tensions with the United States and return to talks on last month's interim deal. According to Reuters, citing a senior Iranian official, the plan would also include lifting restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz. However, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran would not implement the 14-point agreement after what he called Washington's violation of it. The White House stopped short of committing to a halt in strikes, with a US official saying Donald Trump is focused on making Iran pay for its breaches of the memorandum and its actions in the Strait of Hormuz, while adding that diplomacy remains open. The developments came as US strikes on Iran continued for a ninth consecutive night. The fate of the proposal matters directly to Iranian markets, since a prolonged war keeps a high risk premium on oil, gold and the currency.
CNN · Jul 21, 2026
Tehran's housing market cools in July; some owners cut asking prices 10 to 15%
Tehran's housing market cooled further in July 2026. According to field reports, a number of owners who need liquidity have cut their asking prices by 10 to 15%, and some have retreated from prices set two months earlier. Analysts say the sudden price jump at the start of this Iranian year pushed the market into stagnation and thin trading. Prices remain high overall, however: the average asking price per square meter is estimated at about 248 million tomans in districts 6 and 7 of central Tehran, about 176 million tomans in eastern Tehran for mid size units over 10 years old, and about 114.8 million tomans in southern Tehran. It is now hard to find an apartment below 100 million tomans per square meter in almost any part of Tehran.
دنیای اقتصاد · Jul 20, 2026
Pakistan's inflation eases to 11% in June; fiscal-year growth reaches 3.7%
Pakistan's annual inflation eased to 11% in June 2026, down from a two year high of 11.7% in May, although food inflation accelerated to 9.4%. The State Bank of Pakistan's policy rate now stands at 11.5%. Official data showed Pakistan's economy grew 3.7% in the fiscal year ending in June, its fastest pace in four years, though short of target. The International Monetary Fund has warned against premature rate cuts and stressed a data dependent approach. The state of Pakistan's economy and rupee, as Iran's neighbor, affects cross border trade between the two countries.
Dawn · Jul 20, 2026
Egypt's Suez Canal benefits from Hormuz closure; cumulative losses reach $10.5 billion
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has unexpectedly increased traffic through the Red Sea and Egypt's Suez Canal, as part of energy shipments take the alternative route; oil tanker transits through the canal rose by about one third in April. Even so, the Suez Canal still suffers from years of Red Sea insecurity, with throughput still 50 to 60% below 2024 levels. Egyptian officials have said cumulative losses from the disruption to canal traffic reached about $10.5 billion. Egypt hopes canal revenue will recover to around $8 billion in the 2026 to 2027 fiscal year. The development shows how the Hormuz crisis is reshaping global trade and energy routes.
Egypt Today · Jul 20, 2026
Standard Chartered: 2026 is the year of Ethereum; renews $100,000 bitcoin year-end target
Standard Chartered said in a new report that it believes 2026 will be "the year of Ethereum" and expects ether to outperform bitcoin, citing Ethereum's role in stablecoins, tokenized real world assets and decentralized finance. The bank reaffirmed its $100,000 year-end 2026 target for bitcoin, but cut its end 2026 ether target to $7,500 from $12,000, while raising its longer term outlook and lifting its end 2030 target to $40,000. The comments circulated on 19 and 20 July 2026. The crypto market matters to Iranian traders through tether and bitcoin.
The Block · Jul 20, 2026
China iron ore and rebar prices fall on Monday as seasonal lull cuts steel demand
Iron ore and steel prices on China's exchanges fell on Monday, 20 July 2026. Iron ore futures slipped 0.33% to 759.5 yuan per tonne and, despite the daily drop, are up about 2.7% over the past month and remain near a one month high. Steel rebar futures fell 1.03% to 3,070 yuan per tonne, retreating from a one month high. Rain in southern China and intense heat in the north have slowed construction and steel consumption, and blast furnace utilization has dropped below 90%. These prices matter for Iran's steel exporters and the steel tickers on the Tehran bourse.
Trading Economics · Jul 20, 2026
Dubai's DP World advances plan for new Fujairah port to bypass the Strait of Hormuz
Dubai's DP World is advancing a plan to build a new deep water port and container terminal at Fujairah on the UAE's east coast, to provide an alternative route outside the Strait of Hormuz and reduce Dubai's dependence on its flagship Jebel Ali hub. According to reports published in mid July 2026, the project's initial investment is estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars, and its first phase could be operational within about 18 months of final approval. During the crisis and the temporary closure of the Strait of Hormuz, activity at Jebel Ali, one of the world's busiest container ports, reportedly fell 90 to 95%. The plan is part of the UAE's strategy to cut reliance on the Hormuz chokepoint.
Enterprise · Jul 20, 2026
Asian LNG prices jump amid Hormuz crisis; JKM benchmark hits about $21
Spot prices for liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Asia have risen sharply amid the Strait of Hormuz crisis and the continued force majeure on Qatar's exports. The Japan Korea Marker (JKM) rose 5.32% from the previous day to about $20.99 per million BTU on Friday, 17 July 2026. The benchmark is up roughly 37% over the past month and nearly 75% from a year ago. Qatar, one of the world's largest LNG exporters, has extended force majeure on part of its shipments. Higher Asian gas prices increase pressure on major importers such as China, Japan and South Korea and are tied to the energy crisis stemming from Iran US tensions.
Trading Economics · Jul 20, 2026
World Gold Council: central banks keep buying gold; gold becomes the world's largest reserve asset
According to the latest World Gold Council data in July 2026, official sector demand for gold has stayed strong in the opening months of the year, and the Council forecasts that the world's central banks will buy roughly 850 tonnes of gold in 2026. In its annual survey, 89% of reserve managers expect global central bank gold holdings to rise over the next 12 months, and a record 45% said their own institution's reserves would increase. In May, Poland added 18 tonnes (64 tonnes year to date), Kazakhstan 7 tonnes and Singapore 4 tonnes. Gold has now overtaken US Treasuries to become the world's largest reserve asset. This trend is a key pillar supporting the global gold price, which also drives Iran's gold and coin market.
World Gold Council · Jul 20, 2026
European markets close cautiously on Monday; London's FTSE 100 falls 0.69%
European stock markets closed cautiously and mostly slightly lower on Monday, 20 July 2026, as investors weighed a jump in oil prices, a slide in AI related shares, and the wait for US big tech earnings. London's FTSE 100 fell 0.69% to about 10,527 points. The pan European STOXX 600 also edged lower, closing near 642, while Germany's DAX was little changed. Energy names such as TotalEnergies gained on higher oil, while AI linked stocks stayed under selling pressure. For Iran's market, the direction of European equities alongside oil prices feeds into global inflation expectations and the interest rate path.
Big News Network · Jul 20, 2026
Nasdaq and S&P 500 climb Monday as chip stocks rebound from a volatile week
US stocks rose during Monday's session (20 July) as chip stocks recovered from last week's sharp selloff. As of 11:49 a.m. Eastern time, the Nasdaq Composite was up about 0.58 percent and the S&P 500 roughly 0.28 percent, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.24 percent to about 52,023 points. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index, which had fallen into bear-market territory on Friday, gained about 2.3 percent, with memory-chip makers leading the recovery. Alphabet (Google) added roughly 2.9 percent after a report that it is developing a Gemini-integrated server chip, helping lift the indexes. The market heads into a busy week of second-quarter earnings, with Alphabet, Tesla, Intel and IBM all due to report. The backdrop was the intensifying US-Iran military tensions and sharp swings in oil prices, which investors are watching closely.
Reuters · Jul 20, 2026
Indian stocks fall on higher oil and West Asia tensions; Sensex down 0.57%
The BSE Sensex closed down 443 points, or 0.57%, at 77,708 on Monday, July 20, 2026, while the Nifty 50 slipped 96 points, or 0.39%, to 24,238. Rising crude oil and West Asia tensions weighed on the market. Brent traded around 88 dollars during the session and the Indian rupee changed hands near 96.45 to the dollar. By sector, the state-run (PSU) bank index rose 2.78% while the private bank index dropped 2.27%. India is one of the world's largest oil importers and is highly sensitive to energy prices and the Strait of Hormuz route.
HDFC Sky · Jul 20, 2026
Chinese stocks rise on signs of state support; Shanghai Composite up 0.85%
The Shanghai Composite index closed 0.85% higher at 3,796 points on Monday, July 20, 2026, while the Shenzhen Component fell 0.71% to 13,610 points. The gains followed statements by two state-owned firms that they had recently spent about 60 billion yuan (nearly 8.9 billion dollars) buying stocks, helping to support the market even as tech shares extended their slide. China is the largest buyer of Iranian oil, so the direction of its equity and currency markets matters for Iran's economy.
Business Recorder · Jul 20, 2026
Mediators offer Iran a 10-day ceasefire to revive interim deal with the US
Reuters, citing a senior Iranian official, reported on Monday, July 20, 2026 that mediators had passed Tehran a proposal involving a 10-day ceasefire to find a way to revive the interim deal reached last month between Iran and the United States. The 14-point interim agreement struck in June envisaged a halt to hostilities, the resumption of commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, and up to 60 days of talks toward a final accord. It stalled over differing interpretations of its provisions, the revocation of waivers for Iranian oil exports, and disputes over Iran's frozen assets. Reuters said it was not immediately clear whether Tehran had accepted the proposal. The report coincided with Brent crude pulling back from around 90 dollars and a modest improvement in global risk appetite.
Al-Monitor · Jul 20, 2026
China's central bank holds benchmark loan prime rates steady for a 14th month; one-year at 3.00%, five-year at 3.50%
China's central bank (the PBOC) left its benchmark loan prime rates unchanged on Monday, July 20, 2026: the one-year rate, the reference for most household and corporate loans, stayed at 3.00%, and the five-year rate, which guides mortgage pricing, at 3.50%. It was the 14th consecutive month of steady rates and matched market expectations. The decision came as China's economic growth in the second quarter of 2026 slowed to its weakest pace since the fourth quarter of 2022, with policymakers cautious about the fallout from the West Asia war. For Iran, whose largest oil buyer is China, the state of Chinese energy demand and the yuan's path carry direct significance. The PBOC set Monday's dollar-yuan reference rate at 6.7948.
FXStreet · Jul 20, 2026
Global wheat prices hit a two-year high as fresh Black Sea attacks threaten grain exports
Global wheat prices rose on Monday, July 20, 2026, to their highest level since May 2024, accelerating after Russia and Ukraine intensified attacks on each other's commercial ships and ports in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, threatening grain exports. Market data showed wheat trading around 684 cents (near $6.84) a bushel on Monday, more than 14% higher over the past month and about 26% above a year earlier. Russian strikes on the ports of Chornomorsk, Odesa, and Pivdennyi have cut Ukraine's grain export capacity by roughly one-third. The jump matters for Iran, one of the world's largest wheat importers, because it can raise import costs and food-inflation pressure amid the war.
Reuters · Jul 20, 2026
Yemen's Houthis declare a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, opening a new front and threatening oil supply
Yemen's Houthis (Ansarullah) announced on Monday, July 20, 2026, that they were imposing a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia with immediate effect, a move that opens a new front in the US-Iran war and widens the threat to global energy supplies and trade beyond the Persian Gulf. The Houthis framed the decision as a response to what they called a siege of Yemen by Saudi Arabia. The announcement rattled energy markets: analysts say a full closure of the Bab el-Mandeb strait, the southern gateway to the Red Sea, could halt Saudi oil exports to Asia and cut roughly 7% of global oil supply. On the same day, however, a senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran had received a proposal from mediators for a 10-day ceasefire to salvage the interim deal.
NBC News · Jul 20, 2026
US reinforces F-16 and F-35 deployment to the region amid Iran war, drawing jets from European bases
The Pentagon on Monday, July 20, 2026, was reinforcing the US air presence in the region amid the intensifying war with Iran. According to reports, F-16 fighters from Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany and stealth F-35 fighters from RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom are being sent to the region. The deployments add to the largest US air and naval buildup in the region in years, which includes the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and dozens of combat aircraft. The reinforcement signals rising escalation and matters to Iran's markets through the war-risk premium on oil, gold, and the currency: as the odds of a wider conflict rise, pressure builds on global oil prices and safe-haven demand for gold.
PBS NewsHour · Jul 20, 2026
Ryanair quarterly profit falls 34% as the Iran-war jet-fuel spike bites; net profit €538 million
Ryanair, the low-cost airline, said on Monday, July 20, 2026 that net profit for the first quarter of its financial year (April to June) fell 34% from a year earlier to €538 million, down from €820 million. The main causes were a surge in jet-fuel prices amid the Iran war and the Strait of Hormuz crisis, along with a 6% drop in average fares to €48. Ryanair had left unhedged the roughly 20% of its fuel that trades at market rates, and the cost of that portion more than doubled over the quarter to about $150 a barrel. Operating costs rose 11% to €3.42 billion while revenue edged up just 1% to €4.38 billion. Passenger traffic grew 6% to 61.3 million, and Ryanair shares fell more than 5% on Monday.
Investing.com · Jul 20, 2026
US strikes on Iran widen to the northwest; Tabriz hit for the first time as the IRGC reports attacks on Kuwait and Jordan
On the evening of Monday, July 20, 2026, the US strikes on Iran widened to the country's northwest. According to Al Jazeera, citing Iranian media, the ninth consecutive night of attacks brought reported explosions in Sirik, Jask and Chabahar, and for the first time in Tabriz; earlier strikes had focused on the southern coast and the Strait of Hormuz. The US military said the strikes targeted military command centres, air-defence systems, coastal-surveillance sites and missile and drone launch pads, and were aimed at degrading Iran's ability to target vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. In response, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had fired a wave of missiles from Lorestan province at US bases and, according to the force, also carried out missile and drone strikes on targets in Kuwait and Jordan. The spread of the conflict to Kuwait, a Persian Gulf oil producer, adds to concern that the crisis could spill further into the regional energy market.
Al Jazeera · Jul 20, 2026
Persian Gulf bourses close lower on Monday as Iran-US hostilities escalate
Most stock markets across the Persian Gulf closed lower on Monday, 20 July (29 Tir), as military tensions between Iran and the United States escalated and Tehran claimed it had sealed the Strait of Hormuz. Higher oil prices and renewed global inflation fears added to selling pressure on regional exchanges. Saudi Arabia's benchmark Tadawul index eased 0.2 percent, with oil giant Saudi Aramco down 1.1 percent. Dubai's main index fell 0.4 percent, as lender Emirates NBD and budget airline Air Arabia each lost 1.1 percent. Abu Dhabi's index slipped 0.3 percent, with Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank down about 1 percent. Because the region's economies depend heavily on oil exports and sit along the Strait of Hormuz, Persian Gulf bourses are among the markets most sensitive to developments in the Iran-US conflict.
Business Recorder · Jul 20, 2026
Bitcoin holds near $64,600 on Monday as Iran's tether eases with the dollar
Bitcoin held near $64,600 on Monday, 29 Tir 1405 (July 20, 2026), trading in a narrow range with a small daily gain of about 0.2 percent. In Iran's domestic market, the price of tether eased alongside the retreat of the dollar in the open market, slipping to around 189,000 tomans, roughly 2 percent lower than the previous day. A calmer currency market has reduced selling pressure on widely used domestic cryptocurrencies such as tether. Iran's local crypto pricing remains tied more to the open market dollar than to the global trend.
اقتصادنیوز · Jul 20, 2026
Wall Street opens the week cautiously higher with Big Tech earnings in focus
Futures on the main US stock indexes edged higher on Monday, July 20, 2026, with Dow futures up about 0.2 percent, the S&P 500 about 0.3 percent, and the Nasdaq 100 near 0.7 percent, while oil slipped back after touching $90 a barrel. Investors are awaiting quarterly earnings from major technology companies this week, including Alphabet, Intel, IBM, and Tesla, for signs that heavy artificial intelligence investments are paying off. US-Iran tensions and the path of oil prices continue to weigh on global market risk sentiment.
TheStreet · Jul 20, 2026
Iran rebar prices edge higher on Monday amid currency and geopolitical pressure
Rebar prices in Iran's open market moved higher on Monday, 29 Tir 1405 (July 20, 2026), with most products trading slightly above the previous day. According to market tables, 16 mm ribbed rebar from Neyshabur was quoted at around 65,600 tomans per kilogram. Traders cited continued geopolitical tensions, currency volatility, and stronger inflation expectations as the main drivers of the increase. Base rebar prices on the Iran Mercantile Exchange are shaped by the same factors and by official and open market exchange rates, and swings in the domestic steel market remain tied to the path of the currency and the broader economy.
روزنامه تعادل · Jul 20, 2026
Iran's car market steadies on Monday as prices pause after days of gains
Iran's domestic car market steadied on Monday, 29 Tir 1405 (July 20, 2026), after several days of consecutive gains, with many Iran Khodro and Saipa models trading flat or slightly lower as gold and coin prices retreated. Market checks show Iran Khodro prices were little changed from the previous day; for example, the Peugeot 207 manual with hydraulic steering traded around 1.815 billion tomans and the Peugeot 207 automatic Panorama around 2.825 billion tomans. Market participants cited a calmer currency and gold market as the main reason for the stability.
قدس آنلاین · Jul 20, 2026
Iran's Exchange Center to hold a gold bar auction on Tuesday, July 21
Iran's Currency and Gold Exchange Center will hold a gold bar auction on Tuesday, 30 Tir 1405 (July 21, 2026), from 14:00 to 17:00. The deadline to deposit the participation guarantee is the end of Monday, 29 Tir. Each participant must place a guarantee of 5 billion tomans per lot, and the weekly purchase ceiling is capped at 25 gold bars per buyer. The auction continues the weekly bullion sales the center runs to manage the gold market, at a time when open market gold and coin prices are trading near record highs and the central bank is using the tool to meet investment demand.
روزنامه تعادل · Jul 20, 2026
Brent Reverses After Touching $90 as Tehran Signals Possible Talks
Global oil prices reversed lower on Monday, July 20, 2026, giving up all their gains after Brent briefly traded above $90 a barrel during the session. Brent for September delivery settled about 0.4 percent lower near $87.77 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate for August delivery fell about 0.9 percent to roughly $81.74. The turn came after Esmail Baghaei, spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry, told a news conference on Monday that negotiations with the United States could be pursued based on national interests, adding that intermediaries were still exchanging messages and that new proposals had reached Tehran. Traders read the remarks as a sign that a path back to talks might reopen and pared some of the geopolitical risk premium that had weighed on crude for weeks. The shift matters for Iran's markets too. Alongside the easing tension, the free market dollar in Tehran retreated on Monday to around 187,000 to 190,000 tomans, and selling pressure carried into the domestic gold and coin market.
رویترز · Jul 20, 2026
Silver climbs even as gold slips, reaching about $57 an ounce
Global silver rose on Monday, July 20, unlike gold, reaching about $57 an ounce, a gain of roughly 1.5 percent from Friday, when silver had closed near $56. Gold, meanwhile, stayed below the $4,000 mark and near a nine-month low. The divergence between the two metals reflects silver's larger industrial role. Industrial demand in electronics, solar panels and medical equipment, along with silver's status as a cheaper safe haven, has made it more resilient to the pressure from expectations of a Fed rate hike that is weighing on gold. Silver has gained more than $18 over the past year. These prices are the global benchmark, and Iran's domestic silver price follows them once the exchange rate is factored in.
Fortune · Jul 20, 2026
Free-market dollar retreats Monday, easing to the 188,000 to 190,000 toman range
The free-market US dollar fell on Monday, July 20, 2026 (29 Tir 1405) from the previous day, trading in the 188,000 to 190,000 toman range according to market reports, a drop of about 2 to 3 percent from the roughly 193,000 toman level of Sunday. The rate recorded on Sahmino's price feed as of 2:30 p.m. the same day was about 188,000 toman, down close to 2.7 percent. According to Donya-e-Eqtesad, other currencies also retreated: the UAE dirham eased to about 52,390 toman and the pound to about 256,000 toman, while the free-market euro traded near 217,000 toman. The currency decline coincided with falling gold and coin prices in the domestic market and a rise in the Tehran Stock Exchange main index the same day.
دنیای اقتصاد · Jul 20, 2026
Fed under inflation pressure as the chorus for a rate hike grows
With oil prices surging and inflation worries mounting, a growing number of Federal Reserve officials are calling for higher interest rates. Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack said on Friday, July 17, that for the first time in her tenure businesses are asking the Fed to act to curb inflation, and estimated that core personal consumption expenditures, the Fed's preferred gauge, rose about 3.3 percent in June. Oil's roughly 30 percent climb from its July lows, amid the US-Iran conflict, has revived concerns that inflation pressure will persist. Some interest-rate futures traders now price the odds of a hike at the September meeting in a 50 to 65 percent range, though the prevailing expectation is that rates stay on hold at the July 28 and 29 meeting. Tighter US monetary policy typically strengthens the dollar index and weighs on precious metals, which came under pressure this week, a channel whose effects reach Iran's gold and currency markets too.
Reuters · Jul 20, 2026
Turkey's Central Bank Holds Rate at 37% as Oil Surge Raises Imported-Inflation Risk
The Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey held its policy rate at 37% for a third straight meeting in June and warned that the recent rise in energy prices amid the regional war has lifted the underlying inflation trend. Turkey's annual inflation rate eased to 32.11% in June, slightly below the previous month's 32.61% and the lowest level since March. Turkey imports about 90% of its oil and gas needs, making it one of the G20 economies most exposed to energy inflation. Brent crude passing $90 a barrel amid the Strait of Hormuz crisis has increased pressure on the lira and on the country's inflation expectations. The central bank's projections are based on an average oil price assumption of $89.4 a barrel for 2026.
Trading Economics · Jul 20, 2026
Rubio: US Remains Open to a Diplomatic Solution with Iran, but Tehran's Behaviour Must Change
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday (July 19), before departing for the ASEAN summit in Manila and as the US military carried out a ninth consecutive night of strikes on Iran, that Washington remains open to a diplomatic solution with Iran. He added: "We've tried multiple times with Iran, and we'll continue to try. If that door opens, we'll be happy to see it open." Rubio stressed the openness is conditional, saying Iran's behaviour has to change in order for the US position to change, and accused Iran of firing missiles and drones at ships. Despite the remarks, there have been no public signs of diplomacy over the past week as the two sides continued exchanging strikes. The uncertain outlook for negotiations is a key driver of swings in Iran's currency and gold markets.
The Jerusalem Post · Jul 20, 2026
CENTCOM: US Service Member Killed in Northern Iraq and Troops' Remains Located in Jordan; Ninth Night of US Strikes on Iran Completed
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said a US service member was killed in northern Iraq by a controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian drone. CENTCOM also said the remains of soldiers were located in Jordan, where a separate Iranian attack left two US soldiers dead and one missing. CENTCOM said the US military has completed its ninth consecutive night of strikes on Iran, targeting command centres, air defence systems, missile facilities and communications networks. Explosions were heard across several parts of Iran early Monday (July 20), Donald Trump said Iran had been hit "very hard," and a fresh wave of US strikes was reported. The continuing confrontation is the main driver of the surge in oil prices and of risk across the region's markets.
Al Jazeera · Jul 20, 2026
China's Crude Oil Imports Plunged 41% in June to Lowest Monthly Volume Since October 2016
China's crude oil imports fell about 41% in June to nearly 29.27 million tonnes, the lowest monthly volume since October 2016, according to Chinese customs data released in mid-July. The drop was a direct result of the near-total disruption of tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz amid the intensifying US-Iran conflict, weak domestic refinery utilisation, and Beijing's strategy of drawing down pre-accumulated stockpiles rather than buying at elevated spot prices. China is the largest buyer of Iranian oil and the region's most important energy export market, so its reduced purchases affect both Iran's oil revenue and the global supply-demand balance. Analysts say China's cut in imports, from about 11.7 million barrels a day in February to just under 9 million a day by late May, has partly cushioned the Strait of Hormuz supply shock on the global market.
Energy Connects · Jul 20, 2026
Gold and coin retreat Monday; 18-carat gram slips below 18.3 million toman, Emami coin near 185 million
Iran's gold and coin market pulled back from near its record highs on Monday, 20 July 2026 (29 Tir 1405). The 18-carat gram opened the day around 18,765,000 toman and by midday (about 11:30 local time) traded near 18,282,000 toman, a drop of roughly 2.6% from the previous day. The Emami coin, which had changed hands near 188,500,000 toman on Sunday (28 Tir), eased to about 184,990,000 toman on Monday, down around 2.2%. The retreat came while the global gold ounce held little changed near $4,018, close to its nine-month low. Today's domestic decline was therefore tied mainly to a cooling of buying demand and swings in the free-market dollar, which traded in a range of about 190,000 to 193,000 toman, rather than to the world price.
فرارو · Jul 20, 2026
Tehran Stock Exchange rebounds Monday; TEDPIX rises about 1.2% after three days of losses
Tehran's benchmark TEDPIX index returned to positive territory on Monday, 20 July 2026 (29 Tir 1405), after three consecutive days of losses. Trading opened with a jump of more than 85,000 points (about 1.6%) in the first minutes, lifting the index toward 4,833,000. By around 11:30 local time the main index held a gain of about 1.2% at roughly 4,810,000 points, while the over-the-counter Iran Farabourse index (IFX) rose about 1.6%. The equity market had corrected around 10% over the preceding sessions. At the open, banking, pharmaceutical, food, base-metals and cement stocks drew increased demand.
خبرگزاری دانشجو · Jul 20, 2026
Saudi Arabia weighs 2 million bpd Red Sea pipeline expansion to bypass Strait of Hormuz
Saudi Arabia is considering increasing the capacity of its east-to-west pipeline network, which links its oil fields to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, Reuters reported, citing five sources familiar with the matter. Saudi officials have begun preliminary talks with neighbouring countries about expanding that capacity by roughly 2 million barrels per day. The aim is to reduce the region's reliance on the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway repeatedly constrained during recent tensions with Iran. It is not yet clear whether the plan would upgrade existing infrastructure or build a new pipeline; it could take years, cost billions of dollars and require changes to Saudi crude's pricing mechanism. Iraq has already announced it is tripling oil exports through the Ceyhan pipeline to bypass the Hormuz constraint.
عربنیوز (به نقل از رویترز) · Jul 20, 2026
Power blackouts hit Iranian cities amid war and heatwave; authorities urge lower use
Power and water outages returned to parts of Iran on Saturday, 19 July, as a severe summer heatwave coincided with military strikes on facilities in the south of the country, turning hours-long blackouts into a daily reality. According to Al Jazeera, residents in several provinces reported multi-hour power cuts at the peak of the heat, while officials insisted the grid remained stable. Authorities called on subscribers to cut their electricity use and warned that demand would keep rising in the days ahead as temperatures climb. Earlier, power shortages had already disrupted output at some large industries, including steel.
الجزیره (Al Jazeera) · Jul 20, 2026
UN chief urges Iran and US to resume talks urgently as June 17 ceasefire collapses
The UN Secretary-General has urged Iran and the United States to resume negotiations urgently and settle their differences through diplomacy, after an escalation in fighting and a renewed halt to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Under a memorandum the two sides signed on 17 June, a 60-day ceasefire was to take effect: Iran would allow free passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, while the US would lift oil sanctions and its naval blockade of Iranian ports. The US president announced on 8 July that the ceasefire was over. Qatar and Pakistan are among the main mediators between the two sides, and Tehran has filed a formal complaint against Washington with the Security Council and the UN Secretary-General.
اخبار سازمان ملل (UN News) · Jul 20, 2026
European natural gas tops €56/MWh, up over 29% in July on Hormuz crisis
Dutch TTF natural gas futures, Europe's benchmark, climbed above €56 per MWh late last week (Friday, 17 July), the highest in about four months. According to OilPrice, the contract has risen more than 15% over the past week and over 29% since the start of July. The main driver is concern over global LNG supply. Qatar, one of the world's largest LNG exporters, halted a planned production increase after one of its tankers was attacked near the Strait of Hormuz. A prolonged disruption to Qatari exports could tighten the global market just as Europe scrambles to refill gas storage before winter. Goldman Sachs has estimated that a full disruption of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz could push European gas prices up by as much as 130%.
OilPrice · Jul 20, 2026
Gold hovers near $4,000 and a nine-month low as the oil surge revives Fed rate-hike bets
Spot gold traded around $4,000 an ounce on Monday, 20 July 2026 (about $4,001, down roughly 0.4% on the day), near a nine-month low and about 28% below its late-January 2026 record of roughly $5,600. Contrary to the usual pattern, markets have read the US-Iran war and the Strait of Hormuz crisis as an inflation event rather than a flight-to-safety one: crude's jump above $90 has revived inflation fears and bets on a Federal Reserve rate hike, and that pressure has pushed gold lower. Markets now price meaningful odds of a Fed rate increase by September. In Iran the picture differs. As of Sunday evening, 19 July, the Emami coin stood near 189 million tomans (down about 0.5%), yet the coin's premium over melt value (the hobab) jumped about 6.8% in a single day to roughly 6.5 million tomans; a gram of 18-carat gold was about 18.8 million tomans (down about 2%). A weak rial and domestic demand have kept Iran's gold market close to record highs even as the global ounce falls.
Yahoo Finance · Jul 20, 2026
Major Container Carriers Pull Persian Gulf Services and Add Emergency Hormuz Surcharges
As the Strait of Hormuz crisis deepens, the world's largest container shipping lines have suspended crossings and imposed fresh emergency surcharges. Maersk has halted new Strait of Hormuz transits, is rerouting Gulf-bound cargo via the Jebel Ali transhipment hub and Cape of Good Hope diversions, and has added a Strait of Hormuz Emergency Freight surcharge. France's CMA CGM has activated Cape of Good Hope routing for all Asia to Europe services, with spot rates on affected lanes up roughly 60 percent, while Germany's Hapag-Lloyd has also suspended Hormuz transits and is diverting cargo around the Cape. The rerouting lengthens transit times and lifts costs, adding to imported inflation and higher goods prices in Iran and the wider region.
World Cargo News · Jul 20, 2026
Asian Stocks Cautious on Monday as Oil Tops $90; Tokyo Closed for Holiday
Asian stock markets were cautious and subdued on Monday, July 20 (29 Tir), as oil prices jumped above $90 a barrel and fanned inflation fears. Tokyo's market was closed for a public holiday, having shed 6.4 percent last week amid a selloff in chip stocks. The broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan eased about 0.3 percent. Chip-heavy South Korean shares fell again, extending a steep near-9 percent slide from the prior week, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose about 1.7 percent. Alongside the war and oil prices, investors are looking ahead to the corporate earnings season.
Reuters · Jul 20, 2026
Iraq to Triple Ceyhan Pipeline Oil Exports to Bypass Hormuz Disruption
Iraq has approved a plan to ramp up crude exports through the Ceyhan pipeline to Turkey to bypass the disrupted Strait of Hormuz route. According to reports, Baghdad aims to raise flows along the route from about 220,000 barrels per day to roughly 770,000 barrels per day within about two and a half months, and Iraq and Turkey have signed a one-year deal to keep the Ceyhan pipeline running. Iraq's seaborne crude exports from its southern ports had collapsed to about 260,000 barrels per day in May (around 8 percent of its 2025 average). As routes partly reopened, Iraq's combined Hormuz and Ceyhan exports reached about 1.5 million barrels per day in July before the latest escalation, roughly three times the June estimate. Iraq is OPEC's second-largest producer, so its export path affects global supply balance and oil prices.
Arab News · Jul 20, 2026
Persian Gulf Tanker War-Risk Premiums Jump Up to 40-Fold to $3M-$10M per Voyage
War-risk insurance premiums for tankers crossing the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf have soared as attacks between the United States and Iran intensify. According to maritime-insurance industry reports through mid-July, war-risk cover for a roughly $100 million tanker now runs between $3 million and $10 million per voyage, compared with about $250,000 before hostilities began. The Lloyd's Market Association Joint War Committee has widened its high-risk designation to cover the entire Persian Gulf, and several major insurers have suspended or repriced war-risk cover for ships transiting the strait. The higher costs squeeze the economics of regional oil exports, including Iran's, and add to global shipping expenses.
The National · Jul 20, 2026
Brent Crude Tops $90 for First Time Since June 11 as Hormuz Crisis Intensifies
Brent crude oil topped $90 a barrel on Monday, July 20 (29 Tir), rising about 3 percent to its highest level since June 11. Brent gained $2.69 (3.05 percent) to around $90.79 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate rose 2.65 percent to about $84.68, its highest since June 12. The jump came after the United States and Iran widened their attacks across the region over the weekend and tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz was disrupted again. Brent had already climbed about 15.9 percent last week, its biggest weekly gain since April. Roughly a fifth of the world's oil supply moves through the Strait of Hormuz, and disruptions there feed directly into Iran's oil revenue and imported inflation.
CNBC · Jul 20, 2026
Ninth Consecutive Night of US Strikes on Iran Hits Persian Gulf Ports; US Military Death Toll Rises to 16
The US military began a wave of strikes against Iran for a ninth consecutive night on Sunday evening, 19 July 2026. US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the strikes would continue to degrade Iran's military ability to threaten vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. According to reports, the strikes hit several cities, including Persian Gulf ports and coastal towns such as Bandar Mahshahr, Bandar Imam Khomeini and Bushehr, as well as Jask and Sirik along the Strait of Hormuz and Tabriz in the northwest. The targeting of Persian Gulf oil and petrochemical ports adds a new dimension to earlier threats to strike Iran's energy infrastructure. CENTCOM also said the US military death toll had risen to 16, confirming that two service members were killed on 17 July at the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, with one more missing. The continued and widening strikes keep pressure on oil markets and on Iran's economic backdrop elevated.
CNN · Jul 20, 2026
Baltic Dry Index falls 3.1 percent on Friday to lowest since July 3
The Baltic Exchange's dry bulk freight index fell 88 points, or 3.1 percent, to 2,752 on Friday, July 17, 2026, its lowest since July 3, driven mainly by weaker capesize rates. The capesize index, which ships cargoes of about 150,000 tonnes of iron ore and coal, lost 242 points, or 5.6 percent, to 4,097 and was down nearly 12 percent for the week. Average daily earnings for capesize vessels dropped $2,196 to $33,653. The dry bulk decline, in contrast with the surge in Persian Gulf tanker rates, shows the Hormuz crisis is weighing more on the energy market and oil routes than on dry bulk shipping.
Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide · Jul 19, 2026
World Gold Council: India's consumer gold demand recovers in July as prices steady
In its July 2026 India market update, the World Gold Council said consumer buying recovered in July after a lull from mid-May to mid-June marked by seasonally soft demand. While overall demand remains subdued, the council said the pullback and relative stability in gold prices are stimulating jewellery purchases, with retailer promotions including discounts and exchange offers supporting sales. India and China are the world's two largest buyers of physical gold, and their consumer-demand trends influence the balance of the global gold market, which fell last week under pressure from the oil surge.
World Gold Council · Jul 19, 2026
US LNG exports reach 34 cargoes in a week as the US-Europe gas price gap widens
US LNG plants shipped 34 cargoes in the week ending July 15, 2026, three more than the prior week. The US Energy Information Administration projects the country's gross LNG exports to reach about 16.7 billion cubic feet per day in 2026, up from 15.1 in 2025. Despite the brisk exports, the US Henry Hub spot price fell to about $2.80 per million BTU under the weight of Freeport terminal maintenance, while the Henry Hub-TTF spread with Europe widened to nearly $12.60. The gap reflects severe Qatari supply disruption, low European storage and tight global demand. Iran's March 2026 attack on Qatar's Ras Laffan export complex damaged two liquefaction trains, about 17 percent of Qatar's export capacity; Qatar supplied nearly 20 percent of global LNG in 2025.
LNG Prime · Jul 19, 2026
Japan's Nikkei ends the week down 6.4 percent as chip selloff and war weigh on Asian stocks
Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 5.8 percent to 62,946 on Friday, July 17, 2026, ending the week down 6.4 percent. A selloff in chipmakers and AI-related shares, alongside worries over the US-Iran war and surging oil prices, weighed on the market. Taiwanese shares also dropped more than 5 percent, and MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan slid more than 2 percent. India held up better: Mumbai's Sensex traded up about 0.6 percent and the Nifty about 0.5 percent on Friday. The Hormuz-driven oil surge and inflation worries have sharpened risk aversion across Asian markets.
Business Standard · Jul 19, 2026
Naphtha's roughly 24 percent surge squeezes Asian petrochemical margins
The renewed naval blockade of Iran and the Strait of Hormuz disruption have lifted naphtha, the main feedstock for Asia's petrochemical industry. According to data from Korea National Oil Corporation's Petronet system, naphtha reached about $82 a barrel by July 13, 2026, roughly 24 percent above its June low. Asian steam crackers source more than 60 percent of their naphtha from West Asia and the Persian Gulf, and that dependence leaves producers in South Korea, Taiwan and Japan exposed to the Hormuz disruption. Before the crisis, about 20 percent of the world's oil transited the strait. The higher feedstock cost erases the relief producers gained in the first half of 2026 and prolongs the squeeze on margins.
S&P Global Commodity Insights · Jul 19, 2026
Asia's thermal coal demand climbs as LNG shortfall bites; Rystad sees 70-million-tonne rise in 2026
The disruption to global LNG supply caused by the Strait of Hormuz crisis is pushing Asian power plants and industry to switch from gas to coal. According to energy consultancy Rystad Energy in a July 2026 assessment, Asian coal demand could rise by about 70 million tonnes in 2026 under a tight gas-market scenario. The switching mechanism activates when spot LNG prices exceed thresholds of roughly $10.2 per million BTU in Japan and $10.5 in South Korea, while the forward Brent-linked LNG price for Japan in July 2026 is around $12.7. Japan leads the shift, with coal-fired generation up about 11 percent as gas output falls. The move matters for the energy market and for coal-dependent metals and cement industries.
OilPrice.com · Jul 19, 2026
EASA warns airlines to avoid Persian Gulf airspace until July 29
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), in Conflict Zone Information Bulletin CZIB-2026-07 issued on July 14, 2026, advised airlines to avoid the airspace of the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and the Gulf of Oman (the part of the Muscat Flight Information Region west of 58 degrees east) at all altitudes until at least July 29. The agency cited the high level of risk from attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, related military action, and repeated violations of the US-Iran ceasefire understanding. The bulletin is binding on EASA-regulated carriers and foreign operators authorized by the agency, adding to widespread flight disruption and higher costs on alternative routes across the region.
European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) · Jul 19, 2026
US Strategic Petroleum Reserve falls to lowest since 1983 amid Hormuz-crisis drawdowns
The US Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) fell to about 316.5 million barrels in the week ending July 10, 2026, the lowest level since April 1983. The reserve is now roughly 56 percent below its full capacity. Since the Strait of Hormuz closed in late February 2026, Washington has drawn nearly 99 million barrels from the reserve as part of an IEA-coordinated release to offset part of the global supply shortfall and fuel-price pressure. The steady drawdown narrows the buffer available to absorb further supply shocks, a factor the global oil market, and by extension inflation expectations and gold, are watching closely.
Rigzone · Jul 19, 2026
IAEA Reviewing Reports of Overnight Strike on Darkhovin Nuclear Plant Construction Site; No Radiological Risk Reported
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Sunday, 19 July 2026, that it is reviewing reports of an overnight attack on the construction site of a planned nuclear power plant at Darkhovin in southwestern Iran. The agency said the attack occurred early Sunday and, based on an initial assessment, posed no radiological risk, because the facility is in the very early stages of construction and contained no nuclear material when IAEA inspectors last visited. Director General Rafael Grossi again called for maximum military restraint in the vicinity of all nuclear-related facilities, and said the agency had contacted Iranian authorities and would share more information as it became available. The report comes amid intensifying US strikes on Iran and follows an earlier report of damage at the Bushehr nuclear plant site.
ANI · Jul 19, 2026
CENTCOM: US Strikes Iran for Eighth Consecutive Night, Hitting Air Defenses and Missile and Drone Depots
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces struck targets in Iran for the eighth consecutive night early on Sunday, 19 July 2026. According to CENTCOM's official release, the strikes, carried out on Saturday evening US time (18 July, 11:30 p.m. Eastern), hit Iranian coastal surveillance and air defense facilities, maritime capabilities, and missile and drone storage sites. CENTCOM said the operation was a response to a Friday (17 July) attack on a base in Jordan that killed two US service members and left one missing, and that it also targeted Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces it says were responsible for that attack. Global oil and gold markets and Iran's domestic currency market have spent recent weeks under the shadow of the confrontation and the Strait of Hormuz crisis.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) · Jul 19, 2026
Global copper falls under demand worries and the Hormuz crisis; Chile storm and Antofagasta output drop add supply concern
Global copper prices fell on Friday, July 17, 2026, as worries about weaker demand amid inflation and risks from the Strait of Hormuz crisis offset supply concerns. Copper eased about 1.2 percent on the day. On the supply side, a powerful storm in Chile, the world's largest copper producer, caused widespread power outages and damage, and Antofagasta said its copper output in the first half of 2026 fell 9.5 percent to 285,000 tonnes, factors that lent some support to prices but did not prevent the decline. The trajectory of global copper prices matters for Iran, because it shapes the revenue and valuation of Tehran-listed copper producers such as National Iranian Copper Industries, and feeds into domestic industrial-metal costs.
بیزنس رکوردر / Business Recorder · Jul 19, 2026
IMO pauses its Strait of Hormuz seafarer evacuation; about 6,000 sailors remain trapped
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) said it has paused its plan to evacuate seafarers trapped in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf after the container ship Ever Lovely was struck near Oman's coast, as it could no longer guarantee the safety of vessels and crews. According to the IMO, before the pause about 2,900 seafarers had been evacuated from 136 vessels via two alternative routes, since the usual traffic separation scheme could not be used because of the risk of sea mines. About 6,000 seafarers nonetheless remain trapped in the region, and the IMO says it is monitoring the safety of more than 20,000 seafarers across the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz. The halt to the evacuation and the shortage of crews add to the paralysis of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that before the crisis carried about one fifth of the world's oil and gas and whose tensions have lifted global oil prices and the region's risk premium.
سازمان بینالمللی دریانوردی (IMO) · Jul 19, 2026
IMF Cuts 2026 Global Growth Forecast to 3% on the Iran War
In its July update to the World Economic Outlook, the International Monetary Fund cut its 2026 global growth forecast to 3%, down from 3.1% in April and its second reduction this year, citing the energy shock from the US-Iran war. The report says energy prices are now about 25% above pre-war levels; the fund assumes an average oil price of about $89 a barrel for 2026 and that the Strait of Hormuz begins reopening from mid-July. Earlier, the World Bank had cut its own 2026 growth forecast to 2.5%, calling it the worst hit to the global economy since the COVID-19 pandemic. Slower global growth can weigh on Iran's economy through oil demand and trade.
Al Jazeera · Jul 19, 2026
World Bank Warns on Food Prices; Wheat Climbs amid the Hormuz Crisis
According to the World Bank's Commodity Markets Outlook, the West Asia war and disruption in the Strait of Hormuz have pushed global food prices higher through rising energy, fertilizer and shipping costs. Grain prices rose about 5% in the first quarter of 2026, led by a 9% jump in wheat and a 4% rise in maize; more recent reports say wheat has climbed about 13% since the previous update. West Asia and the Persian Gulf are the world's largest importers of wheat and rice, making them highly sensitive to price shocks; in March, food inflation rose sharply in the Persian Gulf's import-dependent economies. Iran is also a major wheat importer, and the trend feeds into household costs.
World Bank · Jul 19, 2026
Container Freight Rates Hit Highest Since September 2024; War Surcharges on Persian Gulf Routes
The Hormuz crisis has sent container freight rates surging. Drewry's World Container Index reached $4,639 per 40-foot container on July 9, 2026, the highest since September 2024. On routes linked to the Persian Gulf, war-risk and emergency surcharges alone can add several thousand dollars to the cost of each container. According to reports, Asia-to-North-Europe rates have reached about $5,800 and Asia-to-Mediterranean about $7,200 per 40-foot container, roughly $3,000 more than six weeks earlier. Transpacific rates have also risen to about $7,500 (US West Coast) and more than $9,000 (East Coast).
Lloyd's List · Jul 19, 2026
Global Methanol Prices Climb; China's Reliance on Iranian Methanol in Focus
The Hormuz crisis and the US-Iran war have also caught up the methanol and petrochemical market. Industry reports through mid-July 2026 say higher freight, insurance and feedstock costs have lifted prices for methanol, sulfur and polymers, leaving import-dependent buyers with longer lead times. China sources more than 50% of its methanol from Iran, so any disruption to Iranian exports has a direct effect on the global market. According to these reports, non-sanctioned shipowners are refusing to carry Iranian-origin cargoes over fears of sanctions and blocked payments, a factor that could keep region-origin chemical prices elevated through the second half of 2026. Methanol is a major item in Iran's petrochemical exports.
Cyprus Shipping News · Jul 19, 2026
Aluminium Hits a Four-Year High as the Hormuz War Squeezes Persian Gulf Smelters
Aluminium on the London Metal Exchange reached a four-year high of about $3,655 to $3,707 a tonne in July 2026. The Strait of Hormuz is the only sea route for aluminium produced in the Persian Gulf to reach markets in Asia, Europe and the Americas, and its disruption, together with worries over power supply to smelters, has tightened availability. Primary aluminium output at Persian Gulf plants was reported about 35% lower year on year in April and at its lowest in more than a decade. The Persian Gulf and West Asia region accounts for roughly 9% of global primary aluminium production, a share that has gained strategic weight since Russian metal was pushed out of Western supply chains.
The Northern Miner · Jul 19, 2026
Urea Fertilizer Prices Jump amid Hormuz Crisis; Iran and Qatar Halt Ammonia Output
Disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, the route for about a quarter of global urea exports, has put the fertilizer market under pressure. According to World Bank data, the global fertilizer index has risen about 12% during the Hormuz crisis, and the bank projects urea prices will climb close to 60% in 2026. Urea topped $850 a tonne in April, up about 80% from February and the highest since April 2022. The surge stems from a halt to ammonia production in Iran and Qatar's suspension of urea, ammonia and sulfur output during the war, alongside higher natural-gas prices (the main feedstock for nitrogen fertilizers) and rising freight and insurance costs. Iran is itself a significant exporter of urea and petrochemicals, making this market important for its domestic industry.
World Bank · Jul 19, 2026
South Asia Gas Crunch; Pakistan Holds Two Emergency LNG Tenders in Two Weeks
The disruption to Qatar's gas exports caused by the Hormuz war has left South Asia short of supply. By July 18 (27 Tir 1405), Pakistan had held its second emergency spot-LNG tender in two weeks as Qatari cargoes were cut off again. Pakistan sources about 99% of its LNG imports from Qatar and the UAE, leaving it highly exposed. In response to the shortage, India has rationed gas to its industrial sector and Pakistan has activated an emergency gas-management plan that prioritizes household use and has suspended about 78 million cubic feet per day of gas to the fertilizer sector. Analysts warn that a prolonged crisis could deepen power cuts and cut industrial output across the region.
Dawn · Jul 19, 2026
QatarEnergy Extends LNG Force Majeure into a Fourth Month; 21 Cargoes Cancelled
QatarEnergy says the force majeure on its LNG exports has now stretched into a fourth month, leaving it unable to deliver cargoes due through early September. According to reports, the number of cancelled shipments between April and September has reached 21 (about 2.7 billion cubic meters of gas). The force majeure was first declared in early March 2026 after Iranian strikes on the Ras Laffan complex. Those strikes damaged two production trains (S4 and S6) and one of two gas-to-liquids units. Estimates suggest about 17% of Qatar's LNG capacity, close to 12.8 million tonnes a year out of a total 77 million, could stay offline for up to five years. Qatar is the world's largest LNG exporter, and the disruption is straining gas markets in Asia and Europe.
AGBI · Jul 19, 2026
IRGC says it stopped four vessels in the Strait of Hormuz
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) naval force said on Saturday, 18 July 2026, that it had stopped four vessels attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz without authorization and despite warnings. According to the IRGC statement, the ships were halted during a naval operation, and one of them was a Thai-flagged merchant vessel. The IRGC did not disclose the ships' identity, ownership, or cargo. The interception comes amid weeks of tension over control of the Strait of Hormuz, the main export route for Persian Gulf oil, and could add further pressure on tanker traffic and global oil prices. The report is an official IRGC claim, and so far no further independent detail on the vessels' current status has been released.
Aaj News · Jul 19, 2026
Kuwait Petroleum Corporation says a key oil facility was hit by repeated Iranian attacks, with several staff injured
Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) said on Saturday, 18 July 2026, that one of the country's key oil-sector facilities was struck by repeated Iranian attacks, causing a fire, significant material losses and injuries to several staff. According to the statement, several firefighters and oil-sector workers were hurt while on duty and are receiving medical care; the site was evacuated and the incident is being handled in coordination with the relevant state agencies. Kuwaiti officials said the strike came in response to overnight U.S. attacks on Iranian facilities and as part of Iran's series of retaliatory strikes on targets in Persian Gulf states. Damage to Kuwait's oil infrastructure comes as the Strait of Hormuz crisis and the ongoing military tensions keep regional oil-supply risk and global energy prices under pressure.
Anadolu Agency · Jul 19, 2026
Tehran stocks fall for a third day on Sunday; the overall index slips about 22,000 points to around 4.755 million
Tehran Stock Exchange's overall index (TEDPIX) closed Sunday, 19 July 2026, down about 21,784 points, roughly 0.46 percent, at around 4,755,500. It was the third straight daily decline, but far milder than Saturday 18 July, when the index shed more than 2 percent and about 120,000 points; selling pressure eased somewhat. The over-the-counter Iran Fara Bourse index (IFX) also fell Sunday, down about 210 points, roughly 0.56 percent, to around 37,293. Market reports pointed to continued real-money outflows and seller dominance in trading. The pullback came amid the ongoing military tensions and swings in the currency and gold markets; on the same day the free-market dollar hovered near 193,000 tomans and coin prices stayed close to record highs.
خبرگزاری دانشجو · Jul 19, 2026
Gold and coin near record highs on Sunday: coin around 190 million tomans, 18-carat gold near 19 million tomans per gram
Iran's domestic gold and coin market traded near its all-time highs on Sunday, 19 July 2026 (28 Tir 1405). According to the Gold, Coin and Currency Information Network, at midday a full Bahar Azadi coin (new design) changed hands at 191,990,000 tomans in Tehran's open market, and each gram of 18-carat gold at 18,861,000 tomans. Based on the live data Sahmino tracks, by Sunday evening 18-carat gold had eased to about 18,776,000 tomans per gram and the Emami coin to about 188,980,000 tomans, a slight pullback from Saturday's jump. The global gold ounce, meanwhile, stood near the top of its range at about 4,018 dollars. Domestic gold and coin prices remain a product of two factors, the exchange rate and the global gold price, at a time when the ongoing military tensions are feeding safe-haven demand.
نفت ما · Jul 19, 2026
Free-market dollar around 193,000 tomans; sharp swings on Sunday amid the war
Tehran's currency market saw sharp swings on Sunday, 19 July 2026 (28 Tir 1405). According to the Gold, Coin and Currency Information Network, the free-market US dollar rose early in the day's trading to 195,000 tomans, close to the market's historic highs. Based on the live data Sahmino tracks, the dollar returned to around 193,000 tomans by late Sunday afternoon, down about 0.8 percent from the previous day. The Alanchand exchange site likewise reported the dollar remittance rate in the same range, just below 193,000 tomans. The swings come as the market remains under pressure from the ongoing military tensions and regional instability. The latest rates are available on Sahmino's prices page.
نفت ما · Jul 19, 2026
Analysts: Iran's gas fields and petrochemical industry are its most vulnerable economic link in the war
According to an analysis by Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy, Iran's oil sector can likely weather a temporary production shut-in, but its gas fields and petrochemical industry are the most vulnerable link in the country's economy during the current war. The shared South Pars field supplies roughly 70 to 75 percent of Iran's gas production and feeds much of the country's petrochemical and gasoline output. According to Argus, onshore processing facilities at South Pars and petrochemical complexes in the Asaluyeh area were damaged in air strikes this year, with estimates pointing to a fall of about 100,000 to 120,000 barrels a day in gas-condensate output. Petrochemicals are a pillar of Iran's non-oil exports and among the heaviest-weighted sectors on the Tehran Stock Exchange, so lasting damage to the gas and petrochemical chain could pressure both the country's foreign-currency earnings and the valuation of a large part of the bourse.
Columbia Center on Global Energy Policy · Jul 19, 2026
War and power crisis cripple Iran's steel output as Mobarakeh and Khouzestan Steel fall idle
According to a report by the analytics firm GMK Center, the Iran-US war and damage to the power grid have sharply reduced Iran's steel production capacity. The country's two largest electricity consumers, Mobarakeh Steel in Isfahan and Khouzestan Steel, have effectively fallen out of production after being hit by air strikes; Mobarakeh previously drew about 1,400 megawatts and Khouzestan about 600. The first damage to these complexes dates back to the air strikes of March 27, which targeted their power infrastructure and storage. On these estimates, returning Mobarakeh to its pre-war capacity could take about four years. Steel is among the heaviest-weighted sectors on the Tehran Stock Exchange and a major Iranian non-oil export; the halt at these two large complexes affects both domestic steel supply and the country's foreign-currency earnings.
GMK Center · Jul 19, 2026
Gulf bourses stay subdued on Sunday as Saudi index edges higher
Gulf stock markets traded subdued and cautious on Sunday, July 19, 2026, as Iran and the United States exchanged missile and drone strikes and the Strait of Hormuz stayed closed. Saudi Arabia's benchmark index (TASI) edged up about 0.1 percent, helped by a roughly 0.2 percent rise in Aramco shares, holding up better than most regional markets. Gulf investors remain worried about a widening of the conflict and its effect on oil exports and the regional economy. Most of these markets had also closed lower on Saturday, and the Saudi index fell for a third straight month in June.
Gulf Times · Jul 19, 2026
ANZ raises its 2026 Brent forecast to above 90 dollars a barrel
Australian bank ANZ has raised its forecast for the average 2026 price of Brent crude to above 90 dollars a barrel, citing the loss of roughly 10 million barrels a day of global supply because of the war and the continuing US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Brent rose above 87 dollars on Friday, July 17, its highest in a month, and gained more than 10 percent over the week. The naval blockade was reimposed on Tuesday, July 14, and commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains very limited. Any sustained jump in global oil prices has two opposing effects for Iran: it lifts the value of its oil exports, while also adding to domestic inflation by making fuel and imported goods more expensive.
OilPrice · Jul 19, 2026
US average gasoline price edges toward 4 dollars a gallon
According to data from AAA, the US national average price of regular gasoline reached 3.94 dollars a gallon as of July 16, 2026, up about 10 cents from the prior week and closing in on the 4 dollar mark. Most states still average below 4 dollars a gallon. AAA cited instability around the Strait of Hormuz as one of the main causes of the increase, a factor that has also lifted crude oil prices. Rising gasoline prices in the world's largest economy feed into inflation expectations and the path of Federal Reserve policy, and through that channel they indirectly matter for Iran's gold and currency markets as well.
AAA · Jul 19, 2026
Europe's diesel refining margins climb to their highest in years
According to Argus, diesel and gasoil refining margins in Europe have reached their highest in years, moving above roughly 60 dollars a barrel, prompting European refiners to shift their economics back toward producing road transport fuels. The main drivers are lower global supply of refined products, curbs on Russia's diesel exports and disruptions stemming from the Strait of Hormuz crisis. The average price of diesel across European Union countries in mid-July 2026 was around 1.75 euros per litre. The diesel shortage and costlier gasoil are an important global variable for the energy market and indirectly affect product prices and transport costs in import-dependent markets as well.
Argus Media · Jul 19, 2026
Suez Canal traffic rises as ships divert away from the Strait of Hormuz
The Suez Canal Authority projected that about 15,500 ships will transit the waterway this fiscal year, roughly 20 percent more than the 13,000 of a year earlier. The increase is largely a result of the Strait of Hormuz crisis; with traffic through Hormuz severely curtailed, part of the flow of energy cargoes and jet fuel has shifted to the Red Sea and Suez Canal route. The gradual return of ships to the Suez route, after a period in which insecurity around Bab al-Mandab had pushed many to sail around the Cape of Good Hope, shows global trade flows shifting away from the Persian Gulf. This rerouting raises the cost and time of moving goods to the region and is one of the crisis's indirect consequences for the economies of Iran and its neighbours.
Al Manassa · Jul 19, 2026
Central banks kept buying gold through its worst quarter since 2013
According to World Gold Council data, the world's central banks remained net buyers of gold through the second quarter of 2026 despite a sharp drop in the price (its steepest quarterly decline since 2013); net global purchases in May 2026 were reported at about 41 tonnes. Poland leads sovereign buyers with roughly 64 tonnes since the start of 2026, while China, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan also kept buying. The trend shows that official reserve demand for gold remains firm over the medium term, even as the oil surge and worries over US interest-rate policy have pushed the price lower in the short term. For Iran's domestic market, where gold and coin prices track the global price and the exchange rate, the long-term direction of central-bank reserves is an important variable.
Kitco News · Jul 19, 2026
India's rupee slides near its record low as the oil shock bites
Driven by the surge in oil prices from the Strait of Hormuz crisis and heightened regional tensions, India's rupee slid by mid-July 2026 close to its record low, in the region of about 95.5 rupees per dollar. India imports roughly 85 percent of the oil it consumes, and costlier crude has widened the trade deficit and lifted importers' dollar demand. To slow the currency's decline, the Reserve Bank of India has repeatedly sold dollars in the spot and forward markets; on July 9, for example, dollar sales by state-run banks pulled the rupee back from about 95.55 to 95.49. The pressure on the rupee mirrors the same strain this oil surge places on the rial and other oil-importing nations' currencies.
India Infoline · Jul 19, 2026
IATA: jet fuel surge to halve global airline industry profit in 2026
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said regional disruptions and the surge in jet fuel prices will roughly halve the global airline industry's profit in 2026, cutting it from 45 billion dollars in 2025 to about 23 billion dollars, while the net profit margin falls from 4.2 percent to around 2 percent. Fuel's share of some carriers' operating costs has risen from about 25 to 30 percent to close to 45 percent. In response to this pressure, carriers such as Air France KLM have raised fuel surcharges on long-haul flights, with the charge exceeding 100 euros per ticket on some transatlantic routes. The root cause is the Strait of Hormuz crisis and the drop in refined-product supply, which has sharply lifted the global price of jet fuel.
IATA · Jul 19, 2026
Iran's oil discount to China widens; unsold Iranian crude on the water rises to around 120 million barrels
With China's independent "teapot" refiners buying cautiously and favoring cheaper Qatari, Iraqi and UAE crude, unsold Iranian oil has been piling up at sea. According to tanker-tracking data cited by Bloomberg, roughly 70 million barrels of Iranian oil sit on tankers near Chinese ports and in floating storage near Malaysia and Singapore awaiting discharge, and total Iranian oil on the water, including floating storage, is estimated at nearly 120 million barrels. The discount on Iranian crude to the Brent benchmark has widened to more than $6 a barrel for October-loading cargoes. The trend adds to the pressure on Iran's oil revenue.
Bloomberg (via Yahoo Finance) · Jul 19, 2026