Noontime News Recap: Iran tensions widen as Ukraine strikes Russia and ECB rate hike bets firm

Iran and Oman have agreed a temporary shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz, but Tehran says the waterway will stay closed until the United States meets its demands, keeping pressure high on one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints.  🔗

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The United States has added fresh sanctions pressure on Iran and warned that countries and companies still trading with Tehran could face secondary penalties, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected diplomacy with Iran and repeated claims linked to Donald Trump’s threat posture.  🔗  🔗

In the wider Middle East, the United Nations condemned Israel’s threat to expel Palestinians from parts of Gaza after children flew kites, calling the warning outrageous as ceasefire tensions remain high.  🔗 Separately, a far right Israeli lawmaker badly damaged a Palestinian memorial with a sledgehammer in the occupied West Bank village of Madama, in a video that has drawn further anger.  🔗

In Europe, European Central Bank policymakers are preparing to raise interest rates at their September meeting, with inflation still elevated in part because of the war involving Iran, according to people familiar with the discussions.  🔗

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On the battlefield between Russia and Ukraine, separate Ukrainian drone strikes across Russia killed at least three people and caused major damage to a logistics centre and Wildberries warehouse in the Tambov region, underlining the reach of the attacks deep inside Russian territory.  🔗

In the United States, Donald Trump backed candidates won projected Republican runoff races in South Carolina and Oklahoma, giving the former president a lift after a run of recent losses and reinforcing his influence over the party.  🔗

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