On August 14, the Pentagon announced framework agreements with The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA) and RTX Corporation (NYSE:RTX) to increase component production for the SM-3 Block IIA and SM-3 Block IB interceptors. Both agreements are intended to increase the output of a group of ship-fired, surface-to-air interceptors that serve as the foundation for the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System, the sea-based shield used by the US Navy to intercept ballistic missiles.
The announcement had little impact on the shares of both companies, with The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA) down around 0.4% and RTX Corporation (NYSE:RTX) down about 1% during the day.
RTX Corporation (NYSE:RTX) alone inked five separate Pentagon deals earlier this year to greatly boost output of Tomahawk cruise missiles, AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, and the Standard Missile family, with Tomahawk production expected to increase sixteenfold, from approximately 60 to 1,000 units per year.
Congress has provided financial support for the effort. The 2026 defense spending bill provided multiyear procurement authority for eight critical munitions and more than $6.3 billion for 13 critical munitions, while the Pentagon's fiscal 2027 budget request calls for roughly $95 billion in missile procurement.
Rising tensions with Iran have added urgency to rebuild US missile inventories. During the June 2025 12-day Israel-Iran war, US forces reportedly used more than 150 THAAD interceptors. This highlights the pressure that sustained conflict can place on American missile-defense stockpiles.

#missile #corporation #missiles #pentagon

Brent crude climbed above $108 a barrel on Tuesday as traders grew increasingly uncertain about when Saudi Arabia's East-West Pipeline would reopen, with fresh Houthi attacks on the kingdom and suspended oil loadings at its Red Sea export terminal adding to supply fears.
By 1:00 p.m. ET, Brent futures had climbed 3% to $108.88 per barrel, with U.S. West Texas Intermediate up 4.7% at $106.12. A close at those levels would mark the highest settlement for either contract in close to four months, according to Reuters. Prices have risen around 20% this month as fighting in the Persian Gulf has escalated.
According to shipping industry sources who spoke with Reuters, crude loadings at the Yanbu terminal on Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast had been halted as of Tuesday. Separately, sources told Reuters that Saudi officials had notified European buyers that certain crude shipments scheduled for late September would not proceed.
Saudi Arabia shut down the East-West Pipeline after drone attacks originating from Iraq struck it last week, forcing the kingdom to halt the export route it had been using to bypass the Strait of Hormuz during the U.S.-Iran war. The pipeline can move up to 7 million barrels per day. Saudi officials have described the closure as a precautionary measure but have not provided a damage ******* sment or a timeline for resuming operations. U.K. authorities fear the pipeline may remain mostly shut for six weeks, according to Bloomberg.
Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen carried out additional strikes on Saudi Arabia on Monday. According to a spokesperson for the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen, the group fired drones and ballistic missiles targeting the cities of Khamis Mushait, Abha, and Taif. According to Reuters, the Houthis claimed to have struck a military air base in Khamis Mushait, with their stated targets including hangars, radar installations, runway infrastructure, and stores of ammunition.

#west #east

Moscow is preparing for a final test of a new ballistic missile capable of striking targets hundreds of miles away and potentially maneuvering in ways that could challenge Ukraine's already strained air defenses, a defense ******* yst warned Monday.
The warning comes as Ukrainian military officials said that Russia could conduct the test in the coming months and potentially in live-fire strikes.
"According to our estimates, Russia plans to conduct final tests of a new type of ballistic missile with a range of up to 800 km by the end of this year," Vadym Skibitskyi, deputy head of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU), said at a meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Interparliamentary Council, according to Ukrainian news outlet Ukrainska Pravda.
"If, for instance, this 800-kilometer missile has more advanced maneuverability, well then that's going to create greater problems for Ukraine in that they're going to need the more sophisticated interceptors to get them," Tom Karako, director of the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Fox News Digital.
Russia Deploys North Korean Missile Unit To Ukraine; Moscow-pyongyang Axis Deepens: Report

#ukrainian #defense #ballistic

The desperate pleas for air cover from Yemeni generals started coming mid-morning on Thursday. An advance by the Iran-backed Houthis toward Yemen's strategic port city of Mocha was in full swing, and backup support from chief ally Saudi Arabia was nowhere in sight.
"The Houthis committed everything they had – waves upon waves of fighters … along with their available ballistic missiles and weapons," a senior Yemeni source attached to their military forces told CNN. The source said he contacted the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) and was ******* ured the US was "watching the situation closely and that Saudi air support was coming."
"But the air support never came," the source said. "And Mocha has now fallen."
Hours later, on Friday, the Houthis captured another key coastal ******* et, Perim Island, at the mouth of the Red Sea. The island splits the Bab al-Mandeb Strait in two, giving Tehran de facto control over another key shipping route.
The Houthis' rapid advance amounts to an extraordinary 36 hours in a conflict that had been largely on ice for years. But the kindling for renewed fighting had been laid for months amid the conflict between the United States and Iran, as Tehran seeks to use oil prices – and their impact on the global economy – as leverage.

#saudi

September S&P 500 E-Mini futures (ESU26) are down -0.27% this morning as escalating hostilities in the Middle East pushed oil prices higher, fueling inflation concerns and sapping risk appetite.
Oil prices climbed on Wednesday as fighting between the U.S. and Iran intensified, with no clear path toward de-escalation in sight. Brent crude rose above $100 a barrel for the first time since July, while WTI crude climbed above $95 a barrel. The U.S. military destroyed five Iranian tankers on Tuesday in retaliation for attempts to strike a U.S. Navy warship with ballistic missiles, according to Central Command. Iran responded by launching ballistic missiles at Jordan and issuing a warning to ships in the Persian Gulf.
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#Iran #Stock #prices

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Gold (GC=F) December futures opened at $4,399 per troy ounce on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, down 0.9% from Tuesday's closing price. Gold moved back higher in early trading this morning to $4,438.20 per troy ounce as of 6:34 a.m. ET.
Exactly one week ago, our headline here was "Gold slips further as military actions escalate in Iran." And that's exactly the headline news yet again.
Oil prices (BZ=F) are currently over $100 a barrel, as gold opens at its lowest value in a week, following reports that the U.S. military destroyed five more Iranian oil tankers in response to Iranian attacks on U.S. warships:
U.S. Central Command (Centcom) announced late on Tuesday that American forces had destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers, once again claiming that it was in response to the IRGC targeting a U.S. Navy warship with ballistic missiles. Four of the carriers, M/T Kaviz, M/T Charminar, M/T Horizon 1, and M/T Riesco, were destroyed in the Gulf of Oman. One of the carriers, M/T Derya, was struck near Kharg Island.

#Gold #military

WASHINGTON (AP) — Iran state media on Monday said a ballistic missile with improved capabilities was demonstrating a new doctrine: Tehran "will take action against any threat, even before it is carried out."
The report by Iran's state news agency repeatedly cited comments aired on state TV the day before by the head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, who boasted of new missile capability and claimed it had been "tested" against a U.S. warship. But it was not clear whether what was tested was the missile the new report described, the solid-fueled Qassem Basir.
The U.S. on Saturday said ballistic missiles were launched at U.S. warships and it struck three Iranian oil tankers in response. Experts called the launch a dangerous escalation, noting that until then Iran's attacks at sea had targeted commercial shipping during six months of war. The U.S. said the warships evaded the attacks.
Iran's messaging in recent days has become more ***** ertive, and Monday's report said the Qassem Basir marks "a turning point in Iran's defense strategy." It described the missile as having greater range and accuracy and a half-ton warhead. The missile was unveiled last year, when it was described as having at least a 1,200-kilometer (745-mile) range.
Concerns about Iran's ballistic missile program were one of the stated reasons the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran early this year, sparking the war.

#missile #described #Iran #tested

CAIRO (AP) — The new head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council on Sunday said Tehran plans to announce an "exclusion zone" outside the Strait of Hormuz aimed at vessels it believes are attempting to transit the waterway.
Mohsen Rezaei's comments to Iran's state broadcaster came with few details, a day after the U.S. struck three Iranian oil tankers in response to Tehran launching ballistic missiles at U.S. warships. Experts called the launches a dangerous escalation after Iran's previous attacks at sea targeted commercial shipping.
The new zone should be announced in the coming days and weeks and "will begin from the line of the U.S. naval blockade, extend toward the Strait of Hormuz, and from this side continue into the Persian Gulf," Rezaei said. "Any ship that enters this area with the intention of passing through the Strait of Hormuz and is identified will be placed on our sanctions list."
It is not clear where Iran defines the location of the weekslong U.S. blockade, which is aimed at Iranian ports and keeping Tehran from shipping out its oil. The U.S. military has said over 20 warships are supporting the blockade, which as of Sunday had redirected 92 commercial ships and disabled three.
The U.S. has been introducing new measures to increase the economic pain on Iran after negotiations collapsed and no end to the intermittent fighting appears in sight. Meanwhile, Iran continues to attack some ships trying to transit the strait, which has become an important source of leverage for Tehran in the war that began Feb. 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes.

#strait

DUBAI, Sept 6 (Reuters) - Iran said it will step up efforts to tackle problems created by the U.S. sanctions that are crippling its economy, while a senior Iranian official warned of a "painful response" if it comes under further attack.
Six months after U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran, the war appears to be at a stalemate. A preliminary ceasefire accord ‌reached in June has unravelled and little progress has been made in diplomatic efforts to get the peace process back on track.
After a pause in military action for much of ‌August, ******* -for-tat strikes have resumed with U.S. Central Command saying it hit three Iranian tankers on Saturday after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched ballistic missiles at two U.S. Navy ships.
Following the attacks, Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said on Sunday that the U.S. should understand that the rules of the game in the war against Iran have changed "before it is too late".
"From now on, any attack against Iran's interests and security will receive a faster, heavier and more painful response," he said in a speech published on his Telegram channel.

#Iran #painful

DUBAI, Sept 5 (Reuters) - U.S. and Iranian forces fired at vessels in waters around Iran on Saturday, including three Iranian oil carriers struck by the Americans and three tankers that Iran said it targeted while on unauthorized ‌routes in the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. Central Command said it struck the three Iranian vessels, including one off the ‌coast of Kharg Island, near Iran's oil export hub, after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched ballistic missiles at two U.S. Navy ships.
"Let the message to the IRGC be clear: If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost — taking out three of yours," said Admiral Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, which oversees the U.S. military in the Middle East.
The IRGC responded by threatening intensified strikes against U.S. military vessels in the region, and said later it targeted the three tankers as well as three U.S.-linked vessels in other areas.
"Do not be deceived ‌by the 'terrorist' U.S. military and refrain from any suspicious ⁠movement aimed at passing through unauthorized waterways," the IRGC Navy said in a statement carried on Iranian state TV. "Otherwise, you will be targeted."

#central

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia launched a large aerial **** ault in and around Ukraine's capital overnight into Tuesday morning, killing at least 11 people and wounding more than a dozen others, including three children, local authorities said.
Ukraine's air force said that Russia began the attack at 6 p.m. Monday, using ballistic, cruise and anti-radar missiles, as well as 218 drones and decoys. About a third of the drones were reportedly jet-powered.
The main targets were the Kyiv and Odesa regions, the air force said in a statement on Telegram.
The overnight strikes marked the sixth consecutive day of Russian attacks on Kyiv, following an unprecedented stretch of air raid alerts that began last week.
The warnings continued at a near-constant pace throughout the rest of the week, forming a sustained, multiday barrage that has increasingly involved the use of fast, jet-powered drones. The relentless attacks have subjected Kyiv and its residents to prolonged danger and disruption, with strikes coming during both the nighttime and daytime hours.

#strikes

It has been touted by the manufacturer as the ballistic missile of the future: lethal, long-range and pinpoint. Lockheed Martin's Precision Strike Missile has the U.S. military investing billions to update its **** nal.
But a close look at what is believed to be its first use in combat — on the first day of the Iran war — highlights the potential peril of deploying this weapon near population centers because it appears to spray pellets over a wide area, according to a review by the conflict monitor Airwars and interviews with weapons experts and former defense officials.
Three missiles that struck the southern city of Lamerd on Feb. 28 killed civilians as far as 50 meters (164 feet) from where they detonated, and caused damage more than three times farther away, Airwars found. The missiles detonated above a sports complex and two residential neighborhoods, Airwars found. The blasts killed at least 21 civilians, including seven children, according to Iranian officials.
Airwars is the first to map the damage radius of the strikes in Lamerd and estimate the lethal range of the weapon used.
The PrSM is designed to explode midair and propel tens of thousands of dense metal pellets at high speed in all directions. Photos, videos and satellite images of the Lamerd strikes' aftermath **** yzed by Airwars and verified by The **** ociated Press show buildings, streets and vehicles were heavily pockmarked in a blast pattern that experts say is consistent with the PrSM's capabilities.

#lamerd #first #three

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. forces struck Iranian rocket launchers on the Strait of Hormuz in their first military action in a month on Sunday, breaking a lull in fighting during an intermittent war that has lasted more than six months. Iran swiftly vowed to retaliate for what it called a deadly attack.
Forces with the Revolutionary Guard Corps were observed preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into the strait, according to Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for the U.S. Central Command. The U.S. military last week completed clearing sea mines from the strait's international shipping routes.
Semiofficial news outlets in Iran reported sounds of explosions near Larak island on the strait. The Guard in a statement carried by Iran's state broadcaster noted "the martyrdom and injury of several of our fighters and compatriots."
Later, Iranian state television showed what it said were ballistic missiles being fired by Iran at U.S. bases in Jordan in response to the American strikes. Jordan's armed forces said they intercepted eight missiles that penetrated the country's airspace early Monday.
A return to open conflict would be dangerous for the region, where Iran has targeted U.S. military bases and infrastructure in Gulf countries since the war began on Feb. 28.

#missiles

Zeteo founder Mehdi Hasan went ballistic on pro-Israel Democratic activist Fred Guttenberg for being an "unhinged, racist POS" and an "Islamophobe" after Guttenberg brought up a deleted post where Hasan supposedly joked about American planes crashing on President Donald Trump's watch.
Hasan's searing rant on Sunday came after the two had already exchanged a number of digital blows on X.
The shot which sent Hasan over the edge was Guttenberg calling him out for posting "Make American Planes Crash Again" in February 2025, following multiple plane crashes in the previous few weeks. Hasan clearly didn't appreciate Guttenberg telling his 460,000 followers about the remark.
"Two hours after you said you're moving on and wouldn't be tweeting about me, you tweeted AGAIN about me, this time copying Laura Loomer's attack on me because you're both a liar and and an Islamophobe (and clearly an unhinged troll)," Hasan fumed. He continued, "You know perfectly well that tweet was a bad joke/mockery of Trump's FAA/Doge cuts and plane crashes that happened on his watch and that I deleted it because Islamophobes we're trying to pretend I was a terrorist. You truly are an unhinged, racist POS, Fred. And the next death or deportation threat I get from the right today will be on you."
Hasan's response echoed his explanation for what he called the "poorly worded" post back in 2025. He said he deleted what he called a "sarcastic" post "because MAGA and Islamophobic" users had taken him out of context.

#guttenberg #post #fred #planes

On August 17, the U.S. military awarded RTX Corporation (NYSE:RTX)'s Raytheon business a $22.9 billion contract to accelerate the production of Tomahawk missiles, a mainstay of the Navy's fleet.
The development comes as the United States scrambles to replenish depleted stockpiles after using and providing allies with munitions to use during the conflict with Iran, raising concerns about the inventories of critical weapons.
Pixabay / Public Domain
The company said in a statement that the contract would run for seven years and boost the annual output of Tomahawk missiles to 1,000 units, up from its current level of 60 a year.
The award, which is part of the 'Arsenal of Freedom' push, cements a framework agreement Raytheon signed with the Pentagon in February to expand the production rates of Tomahawks, AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, and SM-3 Block IB and SM-3 Block IIA ballistic missile interceptors.

#tomahawk #production #august

SEOUL, Aug 24 (Reuters) - South Korea's Defence Ministry said North Korea was continuing preparations for an additional troop deployment to Russia, but had ‌detected no signs that such a deployment was imminent, according to ‌a South Korean lawmaker's office.
The ****** sment came after North Korea's Kim Yo Jong, sister of leader Kim Jong Un, last week denied Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's claim that Pyongyang planned to send up to 50,000 more troops to Russia to fight for its ally.
South Korea's Defence Ministry said in a statement to lawmaker Yu Yong-weon that North ‌Korea had continued to supply ⁠Russia with weapons systems, including short-range ballistic missiles, according to Yu's office.
North Korea is estimated to have supplied Russia with more ⁠than 15 million rounds of artillery ammunition, measured in 152-millimetre shell equivalents, it said.
The lawmaker's office, citing a South Korean Defense Intelligence Agency ****** sment, said North Korean missiles used in the war may have improved in accuracy through battlefield data, alongside Russian ‌technical advice and component support.

#office #jong

Megyn Kelly has shared a sharp five-word reaction to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's latest move. After six years in Montecito, California, the Duke and ****** ss of Sussex are reportedly preparing to return to the UK. Their decision has already sparked plenty of discussion on both sides of the Atlantic, with commentators and the public weighing in on the Sussexes' next chapter.
Megyn Kelly devoted much of her Thursday podcast to celebrating Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's high-profile exit from the US.
During the August 20 episode of "The Megyn Kelly Show," Kelly discussed the Sussexes' decision to move back to the UK at length. She called their return the top story of the year and spent nearly six minutes praising what she described as their "self-deportations," per The Wrap.
"Two important self-deportations that can unite all of America. This is the first thing we've been able to agree upon in over a decade. Meghan and Harry are leaving. Praise Jesus! They're going. Get back to the U.K," the host said.
She upped the ante with a particularly biting five-word reaction before going even more ballistic, telling the couple, "Go become somebody else's problem."

#megyn #meghan #reaction

The United Arab Emirates suspended all trade, commercial exchanges and financial transactions with Iran after accusing Tehran of firing ballistic missiles toward maritime traffic.
The action severs one of the Islamic Republic's most important commercial and financial links and threatens to close off an economic route President Donald Trump's sanctions have struggled to reach. It also further deepens Iran's isolation amid its standoff with the U.S.
The UAE supplied 31% of Iran's imports, valued at roughly $21 billion, in 2024, and was the destination for 13% of its exports, according to World Trade Organization trade data.
Iran Deal Clock Hits Zero As Trump Demands 'White Flag' With New Pressure Campaign Looming
Miad Maleki, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and former Treasury official, said the UAE is one of Tehran's two key economic lifelines.

#trade #islamic

Gulf oil producers are finding new ways around the Strait of Hormuz, but bypassing the world's biggest oil chokepoint creates new risks.
VLCC Rates Go Ballistic as Hormuz Turns Into a Freight Jackpot
- VLCC prices are ballooning out of control (once again), pushing ***** sed earnings for a Middle East-to-China voyage beyond $500,000 per day as the flow of vessels moving out of the Gulf trickled down to a mere couple per day.
- Amidst news that Saudi Aramco resumed crude loadings at its key Ras Tanura export terminal, VLCC fixing costs for inside-Hormuz cargoes jumped to a whopping $31 million per voyage, as seen this week with the Mongolia Prosperity supertanker.
- Saudi Aramco loaded at least three VLCCs (Malaysia Prosperity, Algeria Prosperity and Singapore Prosperity) in the Gulf last week, all owned by Sinokor, offering them to Asian buyers via ship-to-ship transfers off Fujairah in the UAE on a prompt basis.

#prosperity #ship

Aug 15 (Reuters) - Russian troops have taken control of 19 settlements ‌in southeastern Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk ‌and Zaporizhzhia regions over their summer campaign, the Russian defence ministry said on Saturday.
In a statement, the ministry cited a report by Pyotr Bolgarev, commander ‌of the ⁠eastern group of forces. It did not name the ⁠settlements.
Separately, the ministry said its forces had recently taken control of the settlement of Rybalskoye in Zaporizhzhia region, ‌news agency Interfax reported.
Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield reports.
Russian advances on the frontline have slowed this year even as Moscow has ‌intensified its ballistic strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.

#ministry #zaporizhzhia #taken #control

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea on Wednesday performed its second ballistic missile test in less than a week, its neighbors said, a likely protest of the upcoming South Korea-U.S. military drills that North Korea views as an invasion rehearsal.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said a ballistic missile fired from the North's eastern coastal Wonsan area around 6 a.m. flew more than 700 kilometers (435 miles). The **** anese Defense Ministry also detected the launch, saying the weapon landed in waters outside its exclusive economic zone, between the Korean Peninsula and **** an.
The launches, within days of each other, were seen as part of North Korea's extended run of weapons tests as the country has refused to return to talks with the U.S. and South Korea for years. Experts say North Korea often uses its rivals' military training as a pretext to boost its own testing activities.
South Korea's military said it remains ready to repel any provocation by Pyongyang in cooperation with the United States. South Korea's national security council called North Korean ballistic missile launches "acts of provocation" and urged the North to halt them immediately.
Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi told reporters that **** an strongly protested the North Korean launch through their embassies in Beijing. "It's a serious problem that affects the safety of the **** anese people," he said.

#Japan

Aug 11 (Reuters) - Seven workers were killed at a Ukrainian steel plant on Tuesday during a Russian attack on the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia in which President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Moscow used North Korean ballistic missiles.
The ‌Zaporizhstal plant was forced to suspend production after being hit as Russia pummelled Zaporizhzhia with Zircon hypersonic missiles, ‌guided aerial bombs and ballistic missiles supplied by Pyongyang.
"The ballistic missile strike hit as employees were making their way to a shelter immediately after the air-raid alert was sounded," parent company Metinvest Group said in a statement that put the death toll at seven.
The attack brought production at the plant to a complete halt, and other damaged sites were operating at reduced capacity, the company said.
Regional governor Ivan Fedorov posted photos of buildings and vehicles ablaze after the strike, which also damaged four residential buildings. At least 24 people were injured. No damage ‌was reported at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

#zaporizhzhia #production #strike #damaged

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia attacked Ukrainian cities with missiles, drones and glide bombs Tuesday, killing at least 10 civilians, officials said, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Moscow is getting new military help from North Korea for its more than 4-year-old invasion.
Zelenskyy said Russian forces used ballistic missiles supplied by North Korea in an overnight attack on the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, where a company said seven workers at its steel plant were killed and 21 injured.
Three more people, including a 15-year-old boy, were killed by Russian drones and artillery in the central Dnipropetrovsk region, authorities said.
In addition to the ballistic missiles, North Korea is preparing to deploy more of its troops to Russia, Zelenskyy said late Monday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a strategic partnership agreement in 2024, pledging mutual aid if either country faces aggression.

#russian #president #drones

The Pentagon is drafting a new nuclear strategy aimed at giving President Donald Trump more options for using shorter-range nuclear weapons in a potential regional conflict with China or Russia, according to a report.
The classified effort, led by Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby, would put greater emphasis on tactical nuclear weapons — systems intended for use against military targets in a regional conflict — rather than relying primarily on long-range strategic forces, NBC News reported, citing five people familiar with the plans.
The strategy is designed for scenarios in which China or Russia attacks a U.S. ally and Washington must determine how to respond without immediately escalating to a large-scale strategic nuclear exchange, according to the report.
Trump Heads To Beijing For High-stakes Xi Talks As Taiwan Tensions, Trade Disputes Test Us Strength
FILE - This photo taken from video provided by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Feb. 19, 2022, shows a Yars intercontinental ballistic missile being launched from an air field during military drills in Russia. The Russian Defense Ministry said that the military will hold drills involving tactical nuclear weapons – the first time such exercise was publicly announced by Moscow. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, File)

#nuclear #ministry

SEOUL, Aug 6 (Reuters) - North Korea has deployed troops, weapons and now, according to a Ukrainian intelligence official, a missile unit to support Russia's war against Ukraine, marking Pyongyang's most significant involvement in a war since the 1950s.
Here is what is known about the growing military ties:
WHAT ARE THE LATEST REPORTS?
A North Korean missile unit ‌has begun deploying to western Russia and could be equipped with up to 120 ballistic missiles and six launchers for attacks on Ukraine, an official at Ukraine's GUR military intelligence ‌agency said.
The unit comprises about 90 North Korean personnel and is expected to be based in Russia's Voronezh region, the official said. The United States is aware of the North Korean deployment, a source familiar with the issue told Reuters.

#north #official #reuters #seoul

The dollar index (DXY00) is down by -0.02% today. The dollar recovered from overnight losses and is little changed after crude oil prices surged more than +6% when President Trump said the US will "hit Iran hard" after a recent attack from Iran that targeted a US base in Jordan. The jump in crude prices raises inflation expectations and could prompt the Fed to tighten monetary policy, a supportive factor for the dollar. Movement in the dollar is limited ahead of the conclusion of the 2-day FOMC meeting later today when policymakers are expected to keep interest rates unchanged.
Crude oil prices jumped today after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it targeted a US airbase and command center in Jordan with ballistic missiles. The IRGC also claimed to have hit and halted three tankers attempting to transit through the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, the US and Saudi Arabia launched a joint attack on "Iran-aligned terrorists" in Iraq after the IRGC directed them to target US forces and Saudi energy infrastructure.
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Dollar Turns Lower After US Consumer Confidence Unexpectedly Declines
Dollar Falls as FOMC Keeps Interest Rates Unchanged

#Iran #jordan

The United States resumed airstrikes inside Iran Wednesday night in retaliation for Tehran's attempted surprise ballistic-missile attack on American forces, as an Iran expert warned that the regime has become increasingly willing to test Washington despite its weakened military capabilities.
"The strikes are a powerful response to yesterday's attempted Iranian attack on U.S. forces based in the Middle East," U.S. Central Command said as the new operation began, according to The **** ociated Press.
The renewed strikes marked the first U.S. attacks inside Iran since President Donald Trump paused the bombing campaign Friday after 13 consecutive nights to allow diplomacy another chance. Iran's missile launch shattered that brief pause and returned the conflict to direct exchanges between Washington and Tehran.
Trump had signaled the retaliation earlier Wednesday, saying the United States would hit Iran "very hard."
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#wednesday #washington

After a dayslong pause in direct strikes between the United States and Iran, the war is flaring up again after U.S. Central Command said it intercepted multiple ballistic missiles launched in a surprise attack by Iran on US forces late Tuesday. It comes just hours after President Donald Trump touted progress in peace talks and as the conflict enters its sixth month. NBC's Gabe Gutierrez reports for TODAY.

#Iran #united #central

According to U.S. Central Command, Iran launched a surprise ballistic missile attack in an attempt to attack U.S. forces based in the Middle East. NBC News' Garrett Haake explains that this marks the most significant Iranian aggression in several days.

#middle #garrett #iranian

WASHINGTON (AP) — Iran launched multiple ballistic missiles at American forces in the Middle East on Tuesday, shattering a brief pause in fighting as mediators tried to get both sides back to negotiations and toward a ceasefire, the U.S. military said.
All Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted, the U.S. Central Command said in a statement, adding that U.S. forces "remain vigilant and at a high state of readiness."
The United States and Iran had experienced a period of calm, during which neither announced attacks for days following weeks of escalation over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf waterway and narrow chokepoint through which 20% of the world's oil normally flows.
There was no immediate comment from Tehran on the U.S. military statement or the strikes.
Iran effectively closed the strait when the war began by firing at freighters and tankers off its coast or threatening them. Following the signing of an interim ceasefire deal in June, a battle for control over the strait erupted.

#Iran #following #military #statement