Daily Digest — 15 Jul 2026

The escalating US-Iran military confrontation intensified today, with Donald Trump threatening to bomb Iranian bridges and power plants if talks are not resumed, as strikes continued for a fourth day and a naval blockade of Iranian ports took effect. The situation has pushed oil prices up marginally, with Brent crude at $⁠79.52, though markets remain edgy over a potential disruption to Gulf shipping lanes. Al Jazeera reports that Iran’s southern coast is bearing the brunt of the attacks, underscoring a crisis that risks drawing in regional allies and affecting global energy flows.

In financial markets, a sharp repricing of US interest rate expectations drove a broader risk-on mood. June’s cooling CPI print slashed the odds of a Fed rate hike from 43% to 13%, sending Bitcoin above $⁠64,650 and lifting Ethereum and Solana by 4.9% and 3.4% respectively. The easing of rate pressures also fuelled a $⁠53 billion joint bid by Stripe and Advent International for PayPal, as the payments sector consolidates. Separately, ASML raised its sales guidance for the second time this year on surging AI chip demand, while OpenAI is reportedly developing a screenless moving speaker as its first hardware device — and one of its researchers is in talks to launch a $⁠2 billion AI drug discovery startup.

Elsewhere, the UK saw political developments with Labour’s Pat McFadden signalling welfare reform, MPs approving the Hillsborough law aimed at public accountability, and a proposal for a midnight social media curfew for older teenagers sparking debate about piecemeal regulation. Spain’s national football team defeated France 2-0 to reach the World Cup final, while in the cryptosphere, Democratic senators pushed back against the Clarity Act, calling it a “corrupt” bill. On a lighter note, a T. rex skeleton nicknamed Gus sold for $⁠50.1 million at auction in New York.