News

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman: The US threats are nothing new. Tehran acts in its own interests and is not affected by threats.

The Iranian Parliament's National Security Committee stated that mediators are assisting in the restoration of the memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States, and that all parties have exchanged views on all issues.

Samir Jagha, leader of the Lebanese Force Party: I doubt that the United States will end the war without resolving the Iranian nuclear issue and the Strait of Hormuz crisis.

Netanyahu's office: We have conveyed our serious concerns to the United States regarding Hamas's proposal to disarm, and our intelligence assessment indicates that Hamas is determined to enhance its military capabilities.

Market news: Over the past three months, Japan has reduced its holdings of U.S. Treasury bonds by $96 billion, bringing its total holdings down to $1.14 trillion, the lowest level since April 2025.

U.S. Central Command: A U.S. Marine Corps F-35C stealth fighter jet took off from the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), which is sailing in the Arabian Sea to support the U.S. blockade of Iran. As of August 2, the Middle East Command had redeployed 35 merchant ships, rendered two inoperable, and boarded and inspected two others.

American Airlines: Cancels all flights from New York to Ben Gurion Airport in Israel until March 2027.

The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that it had attacked infrastructure at the port of Mykolaiv in Ukraine and targeted two cargo ships carrying supplies to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as well as a tugboat used to deploy underwater drones.

An explosion occurred at an ammunition depot at the Al-Taji military base north of Baghdad, according to Iraqi media reports. The Iraqi Security Media Center stated that the explosion was caused by excessively high temperatures inside the Al-Taji camp. The base has long been used by US-led coalition forces. Currently, there is no indication that the incident is related to an attack, nor is there further information regarding casualties.

Valueworks Chief Investment Officer Charles Lemonides said he wouldn't be surprised if chip stocks rebounded strongly after this sell-off, but he doesn't think they're likely to lead the next phase of the bull market because they've already had their moment. Last week, Amazon and Microsoft reiterated their commitment to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in AI alone over the next year, with most of that specifically earmarked for manufacturers of chips for data centers. But the problem is that the fundamentals are being questioned. Chip stocks, especially those focused on memory chips, are known for their cyclicality, often experiencing booms and busts due to fluctuating demand. Many on Wall Street remain convinced this cycle will be no exception. Valueworks' Lemonides said the profit explosion we're seeing is unsustainable. The bigger question is whether profit margins can be sustained; with profit margins so far out of historical norms, there's reason to expect a return to normal levels. The question is when, and how the stock market will react.

According to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), as divisions within Israel over the Gaza ceasefire agreement continue to escalate, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak has criticized the performance of current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Barak claims that Netanyahu has lost his negotiating influence with US President Trump, and that Israel has effectively been excluded from the decision-making process regarding the future of the Gaza agreement.

The OPEC+ Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) has expressed concern over attacks on energy infrastructure.

The OPEC+ Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) met on Sunday to emphasize the importance of protecting international sea lanes to ensure the continued flow of energy.

The OPEC+ statement made no mention of policy beyond September 2026.

OPEC+: The next meeting will be held on September 6.

OPEC+: Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria, and Oman agreed to adjust production and reaffirmed their commitment to market stability.

The statement indicates that OPEC+ has agreed to increase its September oil production quota by 188,000 barrels per day.

According to Iranian media FarsNews, the National Iranian Copper Company stated that by promoting the domestic production of equipment and components needed for its mine and copper plant expansion projects, it avoided approximately €49 million in foreign exchange outflows in 2026. To date, the company's domestic production contracts have resulted in cumulative foreign exchange savings of €125 million. Furthermore, the company plans to further avoid approximately €76 million in foreign exchange outflows during its expansion projects in 2027. It is reported that by 2026, 7,557 spare parts required by the National Iranian Copper Company's plants will be domestically produced, with a total value of approximately 9 trillion rials. Compared to the previous year, the number of domestically produced components increased by 17%, and the value of domestic manufacturing contracts increased by 56%. The National Iranian Copper Company stated that the continued promotion of equipment and component domestication helps reduce import dependence and enhance the self-sufficiency of the industrial chain.

Market news: OPEC+ has agreed in principle to increase daily production by 188,000 barrels and suspend production increases in the fourth quarter.

According to RIA Novosti, the Ukrainian drone attacks on various regions of Russia in the early hours of August 2nd were the largest of any such attacks.