Sunday 23 August 2026 07:30 UTC
Iran Signals Wider Security Ties as Trade and War Risks Rise
In the 24 hours ending 23 August at 07:30 UTC, Iran allowed several Iraqi oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. Baghdad had repeatedly sought permission through several diplomatic channels.
Rezaei, an Iranian security official, warned countries against helping the US economic campaign. He said Iran would target their interests.
Mehdi Rahimi, head of Iran’s parliamentary news agency, said Iran received an invitation to join a defence agreement. The agreement includes Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye.
Ukrainian drones hit 27 energy sites across occupied areas during the past week. The attacks severely damaged the grid and caused widespread rolling blackouts. Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, warned that attacks on economic infrastructure could drive further escalation.
Skibitskiy, Ukraine’s intelligence chief, said North Korea sent 8,500 more troops to Russia. He said the group includes 400 drone operators.
Canada will impose matching tariffs on US goods from 8 September. The action answers new 50% US tariffs covering about $20 billion of Canadian exports. Mark Carney, Canada’s prime minister, said Canada would target steel, dairy, electronics and appliances. Greer, the US trade representative, said Washington planned no new talks.
Donald Trump, the US president, disclosed more than 1,000 securities trades during June. Their combined disclosed value ranged from $78 million to $263 million. Purchases included Berkshire Hathaway, Visa, Mastercard and Cintas. His largest disclosed transaction was a Vanguard fund sale valued between $5 million and $25 million.
Some major Nvidia customers were told AI server prices would rise by more than 15%. Higher memory costs drove the increases. The higher prices may raise costs for new AI data centres early next year.