Thursday 6 August 2026 07:30 UTC
Hormuz Draft Nears Approval as Ukraine Strikes Russia
In the 24 hours ending 6 August at 07:30 UTC, a temporary Hormuz deal moved closer to final approval. Iranian and Omani negotiators completed a draft, but Iran’s supreme leader must approve it.
The deal could create a shipping route lasting two to four months. Iran said the agreement alone would not make the Strait of Hormuz safe. Tehran also denied holding direct talks with the United States.
Donald Trump, the US president, said talks were going well. He warned Iran of heavy attacks if it withdrew. Iran again threatened Gulf energy sites if US attacks resumed.
The United States removed counterterrorism sanctions from two aircraft and three airlines linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. This change came as Washington sought progress over Hormuz.
Ukrainian drones struck the Yaroslavl Oil Refinery during a large attack across Russia. Another attack destroyed a major distribution centre in Aleksin.
A suspected car bomb critically injured Vladimir Tkachuk, head of Russia’s Ural Drone Factory. The blast near Yekaterinburg killed his driver and bodyguard.
The US private sector added 44,000 jobs in July, below the expected 65,000. Service industry growth also came slightly below forecasts.
Neel Kashkari, head of the Minneapolis Federal Reserve, called for gradual interest rate increases. Major banks remain divided over whether rates will rise in September.
AI-based voice scams targeted several large US hedge funds. Attackers tried to persuade workers to grant access to company systems. One firm blocked the attempt and found no evidence of a breach.
Microsoft received $24.1 billion in AI revenue from OpenAI during the year ending in June. OpenAI may now provide about 70% of Microsoft’s AI business.
Anthropic is building a chip team to design processors for its Claude AI models. Google is also discussing a deal worth over $1.5 billion with AI startup Mechanize.
The Trump administration plans a 15% tariff on products made from imported polysilicon. The material is important for solar panels and computer chips.