Industry confidence dips amid energy price fears The Thai Industries Sentiment Index (TISI) continued to fall in April to 85.3 points, down from 88.6 in March, attributed to the impact of the prolonged US-Israeli war with Iran. Bangkok Post · May 20
US military boards Iranian oil tanker suspected of breaching blockade United States military forces boarded an Iranian oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman. This action escalates pressure on Iran. The vessel was searched and redirected. It is the fifth commercial ship intercepted since Washington imposed a blockade on Iranian shipping. This is part of efforts to force Tehran back… The Times of India · May 20
Inside Reeves’ cost of living plan which could see UK consumers save more than £150 million a year Reeves will give details of policies to tackle the cost-of-living squeeze triggered by the Iran war The Independent UK · May 20
Corn Falls Back on Wednesday Corn futures saw midweek pressure on Wednesday, with contracts down 2 ½ to 9 ½ cents at the close. The CmdtyView national average Cash Corn price was down 9 1/2 cents to $4.26 1/2. Crude oil losses of $5.07 is adding pressure as US and Iran negotiations are reportedly in... Barchart · May 20
Cotton Closes Mostly Lower on Wednesday Cotton futures posted losses of 6 to 73 points across most 2026 and 2027 contracts, with some deferred contracts up 13 to 29 points. The US dollar index was $0.304 higher at $99.570. Crude oil losses of $5.07 is adding pressure as US and Iran negotiations are reportedly in the... Barchart · May 20
Deal with Iran must see Strait of Hormuz ‘open immediately’, says Trump While the president claimed he is ‘in no hurry’, he warned the US would ‘do some things that are a little bit nasty’ if talks failed. Evening Standard · May 20
Stocks Finish Sharply Higher on Iran Hopes The S&P 500 Index ($SPX ) (SPY ) on Wednesday closed up +1.08%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ($DOWI ) (DIA ) closed up +1.31%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX ) (QQQ ) closed up +1.66%. June E-mini S&P futures (ESM26 ) rose +0.96%, and June E-mini Nasdaq futures... Barchart · May 20
US stocks today: Dow soars 600 pts, Nasdaq 1.5% as chip stocks rally eyeing Nvidia results, Iran peace deal hopes Wall Street indexes jumped over 1% led by tech and semiconductor rally ahead of Nvidia earnings. Target fell on weak outlook. Airlines gained as oil dropped. Fed minutes signaled possible rate hike debate. Nasdaq S&P Dow Jones rose strongly as AI optimism offset inflation and geopolitical concerns sentiment rises The Economic Times · May 20
International Business Times · May 20 UAE Says Its Pipeline To Bypass The Strait Of Hormuz Is Almost Halfway Done The UAE said the pipeline it's building to bypass the Strait of Hormuz is almost halfway complete after accelerating construction while the key waterway remains closed as a result of the war in Iran.
Barchart · May 20 Dollar Retreats on Iran Optimism The dollar index (DXY00 ) fell from a 6-week high on Wednesday and finished down by -0.24%. The dollar gave up an early advance on Wednesday and moved lower after comments from President Trump that the US was in the “final stages” with Iran, which knocked crude oil prices down...
International Business Times · May 20 Iran Tightens Grip on Strait of Hormuz With Island Checkpoints and Transit Fees: Report Ships moving through the Strait of Hormuz are now subject to a multi-tiered clearance process by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which can include affiliation checks, inspections, and diplomatic intervention, according to a new report.
The Guardian - US · May 20 Michael Bay to direct film based on US military rescue mission in Iran Director of Armageddon and Transformers to team up with Universal Pictures for drama based on recent events
France 24 · May 20 Digital bottleneck: How Iran wants to use internet access as leverage in the war Tehran is floating the idea of charging the world’s largest tech companies – including Google, Meta, Microsoft and Amazon – for using the undersea internet cables crossing the Strait of Hormuz in a new attempt to exploit its control over the critical waterway to ratchet up economic pressure on the…
The Economic Times · May 20 New UAE oil pipeline bypassing Hormuz 50% complete ahead of 2027 start Iran, which has attacked vessels to assert control over the Strait, has expanded its definition of the waterway to include the UAE's Gulf of Oman coastline. The U.S. has imposed its own blockade on Iranian ports and attempted an aborted operation to reopen the chokepoint.
The Independent UK · May 20 Regulators looking at three firms over multimillion-dollar trades before Trump’s Iran war announcement, report says The three financial firms, which have not been accused of wrongdoing, said they had not been contacted by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission
AAP · May 20 Pakistan steps up bid to get US-Iran talks on track Mediators are trying to speed up US-Iran peace talks as Tehran weighs a response from Washington and President Donald Trump says he's willing to resume attacks.
The Economic Times · May 20 Fed minutes show more policymakers were prepared to lay groundwork for rate hike Federal Reserve minutes show growing concern that inflation driven by the Iran war could persist above the 2% target, prompting discussions around possible future rate hikes. Several policymakers signalled tightening may be needed, marking a more hawkish shift. Bond yields rose as markets priced in reduced chances of rate cuts.