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Real-time News
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi: As the situation in the Strait of Hormuz enters a critical stage, and considering that Iran is continuing to communicate with relevant countries on opening the strait, Japan believes it is crucial to ease the current military tensions and de-escalate the situation as soon as possible.Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi: In light of the latest developments in the Middle East, I had my fourth telephone conversation with Iranian President Pezechzian.On August 12, Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened retaliation against the European Union if it seized Russian commercial vessels, calling such actions "piracy." As part of a new round of sanctions announced last month, the EU approved a mechanism allowing member states to sell oil and other commodities seized from sanctioned vessels detained at sea. Since the end of 2024, European countries and the UK have boarded, seized, or confiscated numerous vessels linked to Russia or part of a so-called "shadow fleet." Speaking on Wednesday during Pacific Fleet exercises in the Russian Far East, Putin said, "Recently, they even proposed seizing our ships and selling the property they plundered from us. Of course, this is nothing more than piracy and robbery." Putin stated that Russia would respond in kind, and the response would not necessarily take place in the same waters where Russian vessels might have been attacked, but rather "anywhere we deem necessary and appropriate."On August 12, a Kyiv-based think tank suggested that the EU should target sanctions on key mineral imports by Russia, resources that underpin Moscows weapons production capabilities. A report by the Ukrainian Economic and Security Council stated that in one year, Russia imported over $1.1 billion worth of various strategic minerals for military-related purposes, including alumina, tantalum, and molybdenum. The report found that the Russian defense industry also requires other minerals, ores, and compounds, including beryllium, tungsten, manganese, niobium, rhenium, and titanium. The report stated that many of these goods ultimately end up in the supply chains of dozens of Russian companies involved in the manufacture of missile systems, aircraft, armored vehicles, ammunition, electronic equipment, and engines. The EU has so far not imposed restrictions on these exports. Because restrictions require the unanimous consent of all 27 EU member states, and countries are increasingly pushing to weaken some measures or seek exemptions for their own industries, such restrictions are becoming increasingly difficult to pass.The yield on UK two-year government bonds fell more than 8 basis points to 4.274%, the lowest level since August 7.
