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U.S. officials told Al Jazeera that mine clearance work in the international shipping lanes of the Strait of Hormuz has been completed.

U.S. officials told Al Jazeera that troops are closely monitoring the area and are ready to protect free trade in the Strait of Hormuz.

Financial Times reported large tech firms booked more than $160 billion of unexpected valuation gains last quarter from equity investments in other AI companies, lifting pre-tax profits. Alphabet, Amazon, NVIDIA and Microsoft said the accounting line "other income" was materially boosted by these one-off valuation gains. The gains largely reflect market enthusiasm for AI and could distort assessments of the AI ecosystem’s strength and cyclicality. Goldman Sachs' chief US equity strategist said investors are increasingly asking whether reported growth is demand-driven or, to some extent, misleading.

According to the Financial Times, major tech companies have gained $160 billion in profits due to their stakes in other artificial intelligence companies.

US President Trump: All Canadian companies doing business with the US, move to the US immediately. Many of these companies moved out of Canada years ago due to the foolish policies of the US leadership. Once you move back, all tariffs will be waived!

US President Trump: Canada wants to be treated as a state, but they aren't. I've dealt with leaders of many countries, but I think Canada is the worst. They no longer deserve special privileges.

German Chancellor Merz: (Regarding military spending) We must correct the shortcomings of the past 15 years. The German Federal Armed Forces are far from being as strong as they should be.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center: There is a 50% chance that the storm near the North American Gulf Coast will develop into a cyclone within the next 48 hours.

German Chancellor Merz: The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz means that energy market prices will drop immediately, including those in Germany.

German Chancellor Merz: Germany cannot offset a $100 per barrel oil price through subsidies. But what we can do, for example, is to work with our European partners to do everything possible to help end the war with Iran and ensure the Strait of Hormuz is reopened.

German Chancellor Merz: In Germany, we shut down nuclear power plants before alternative energy sources were built, and now we have to make up for that loss with great difficulty.

German Chancellor Merz: Closing German nuclear power plants is not my responsibility. I will not do that.

Brett McGurk, a CNN analyst who has served in senior national security positions under US presidents Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden, wrote that Iran's leverage in the Strait of Hormuz is at risk of failing. The article states that the six-month conflict has roughly gone through four acts. The first act began with the massive airstrikes on February 28; the second with the ceasefire and negotiations on April 7; and the third with a new round of military clashes in the weeks following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran on June 17. It was at that time that calls for the US to effectively relinquish control of the Strait and hand it over to Iran grew louder, and the US seemed to have no other options. However, things are not so simple. Since mid-July, the US has reimposed a military blockade on Iranian ports and reinstated sanctions on Iranian oil trade. At the same time, the US military has been working to clear waterways and assist in protecting merchant ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. As a result, Iranian oil exports have been effectively blocked, while global oil shipments are recovering and energy prices have remained unusually stable. According to a Bloomberg report this week, oil traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has now recovered to two-thirds of pre-war levels. This means that the pressure is now increasingly accumulating on Iran, not the United States. If Iran loses control of the Strait of Hormuz, its leverage will quickly dissipate. The article states that Iran may attempt to escape its current predicament through fighting, as it has done before. This could involve increasing global economic pressure by driving up global energy prices and US gasoline prices, ultimately forcing Trump to concede, especially with the US midterm elections approaching. However, strategically, these tactics have not worked. The Gulf states do not want the war to continue, but most do not support Iran's claims to the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's attempts to blockade the strait using drones and mines are now, for the first time, failing. The article concludes that both Iran and Trump believe they have reached each other's breaking point, but it is too early to draw conclusions. Therefore, this form of confrontation could continue until the end of Trump's term, or even beyond. As the war enters its fourth act, the US's current objectives have become clearer: maintaining the blockade against Iran, ensuring commercial shipping, and demanding that Iran abandon its claims to the strait and its nuclear enrichment program. The current situation is beginning to favor Washington.

The UK Maritime Trade Organization reports that an oil tanker was hit by artillery fire 12 nautical miles north of Hasab, Oman. No casualties or environmental impact have been reported.

Ukrainian President Zelensky: Ukraine is preparing to hold further talks with representatives of the US President.

According to the Associated Press: The United States is directing Polish military exercises focused on drones, based on lessons learned from the conflict in Ukraine.

European Council President Costa and Icelandic Prime Minister exchanged messages.

Domestic News: 1. Xi Jinping arrives in Bishkek to attend the 2026 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit and pay a state visit to Kyrgyzstan. 2. National Data Administration: Research and explore business models such as value-added subscriptions and performance-based payments, focusing on major scenarios in the national economy. 3. Shanghai Stock Exchange listed companies release their semi-annual reports: Net profit growth after deducting non-recurring items hits a new high since 2022. 4. China Coast Guard conducts law enforcement patrols in the territorial waters and surrounding areas of Huangyan Island. International News: 1. Iceland holds referendum against restarting EU accession negotiations. 2. Shooting incident in Switzerland leaves 1 dead and 5 injured. 3. Trump says he will fill the US strategic reserves with Venezuelan oil. 4. South Korea's presidential office announces new cabinet members, with several ministerial-level officials to be replaced. 5. Venezuela's interim president: 25-year oil agreement with the US aims to increase production to 1.5 million barrels per day. 6. Middle East situation—① Iran's Supreme Leader: The way to resolve regional issues lies in unity. ② Iran's Navy Commander refutes Trump's claims, stating that the Iranian Navy still possesses combat capabilities. ③ US media: Senior US military officials advise Hegersey that a large-scale operation against Iran is unsustainable.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman: Following the historic launch of the Roman Telescope, President Trump participated in a NASA press conference via telephone.

According to CBS News, internal U.S. government documents show that the Trump administration deported more than 100 people from countries including Afghanistan, Cuba, and Nicaragua to eight African countries within 10 days, further expanding its "third-country" deportation operations.