JH Kim

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that oil production could be disrupted due to heightened tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz. On the 9th (local time), Walter Bloomberg reported that President Putin said, "Oil production linked to the Strait of Hormuz could be completely halted as soon as next month." He assessed the current situation by saying, "The Strait of Hormuz is effectively closed." The Strait of Hormuz is a key energy shipping route through which about 20% of the world’s seaborne crude oil shipments pass, and any disruption to traffic there is known to have a major impact on global energy markets.

U.S. President Donald Trump said there are currently no plans to deploy U.S. ground troops to secure Iran’s nuclear facilities. According to Walter Bloomberg on the 9th (local time), when asked whether he planned to send U.S. forces to Iran to secure the Isfahan nuclear facility, Trump said, “We’re still a long way from that stage.” Regarding the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei as the new supreme leader to succeed the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, he said, “I’m not happy with that appointment.” He did not specify what response he would take. On his Iran strategy, Trump said, “No decision has been made yet on whether to deploy U.S. forces,” adding that he is closely monitoring the situation. Military tensions between the United States and Iran have recently continued to rise in the Middle East.

US President Donald Trump said that deploying US ground forces to Iran is not yet at the stage of consideration. According to Walter Bloomberg on the 9th (local time), President Trump, commenting on the situation surrounding a military clash with Iran, said sending troops to Iran is "nowhere near" being on the table. The United States has recently continued military operations against Iran, including airstrikes, but is said to be maintaining a cautious stance on the possibility of deploying ground forces. Tensions are rising in the Middle East as military confrontations between the US and Iran continue, and the international community remains focused on the level of any future military response.

Saudi Arabia has reportedly warned Iran that it could take retaliatory action if attacks targeting the kingdom and its energy facilities continue. According to Walter Bloomberg on the 7th (local time), the Saudi government conveyed to Iran that if attacks on Saudi territory and the energy sector persist, it could respond in kind. Amid ongoing military clashes between the United States and Iran in the Middle East, tensions surrounding energy facilities in the Gulf region are also rising. Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s largest crude oil exporters, and its energy infrastructure is regarded as a core pillar of the national economy. Saudi officials are said to prefer a diplomatic resolution to the dispute, but have underscored that attacks on the country’s security and energy industry are unacceptable.

US President Donald Trump said he does not want the Kurds to get involved in a US-led military operation against Iran. According to Walter Bloomberg on the 7th (local time), speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Florida after attending a repatriation ceremony for the remains of US service members at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, Trump said, "We don’t want the Kurds involved," adding, "The war is complicated enough even without the Kurds getting involved." He continued, "I don’t want to see the Kurds hurt or killed," adding, "We’ve maintained a good relationship with them." Trump had previously said in a media interview that he was "all for it" regarding the possibility of a Kurdish attack on Iran, and the latest remarks are being seen as a shift from his earlier position.

The three major U.S. stock indexes ended the session lower. The Nasdaq Composite on the 7th fell 1.59% from the previous day to 22,387.68 points. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.95% to 47,501.55, while the S&P 500 slid 1.36% to finish at 6,738.15.

Iran said it has not fully blocked the Strait of Hormuz, but will not allow the passage of vessels linked to the United States or Israel. According to Walter Bloomberg on the 6th (local time), a senior military spokesperson for Iran said, "We have not closed the Strait of Hormuz, but vessels linked to the U.S. or Israel cannot pass through." Tensions have been rising in the Middle East recently as Iran’s retaliatory steps have followed U.S. and Israeli military operations. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had previously issued warnings regarding ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The Strait of Hormuz is a strategic maritime corridor through which about 20% of global seaborne oil shipments pass, and whether transit is restricted is seen as a factor that could have a major impact on global energy markets.

The Florida Legislature in the United States has passed a bill establishing a regulatory framework for stablecoins. According to The Block, a cryptocurrency-focused media outlet, the bill passed the Senate vote with 37 in favor and 0 against on the 6th (local time). It is known as the first stablecoin regulation bill introduced at the state level in the U.S. The bill amends Florida’s Anti-Money Laundering Act to include stablecoins within the scope of regulation and requires issuers to comply with existing rules. It also includes provisions banning the issuance of stablecoins without a license. In particular, the bill clearly stipulates that certain payment stablecoins are not considered securities. The bill is currently awaiting the governor’s final signature, and will officially take effect once the signing process is completed.

All three major U.S. stock indexes are trading lower. The Nasdaq Composite was trading at 22,544.12 points as of 02:13 on the 7th, down 0.90% from the previous session. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 1.12% at 47,419.31 points, while the S&P 500 was down 1.13% at 6,753.06 points.

Iran is reported to have decided to delay the appointment of a new leader, citing security concerns. On the 6th (local time), Walter Bloomberg, citing a report by The New York Times, reported that Iranian authorities decided to temporarily postpone the process of selecting the next leader in light of the current security situation. Tensions have sharply escalated in the Middle East recently as military clashes between the United States and Iran continue. Iran’s leadership is said to have judged that the situation could affect the power succession process. Previously, U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States should be directly involved in the process of selecting Iran’s next leader.

U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States is evacuating thousands of people from several countries in the Middle East. According to Walter Bloomberg on the 6th (local time), President Trump said in this regard, "We are moving thousands of people from multiple countries across the Middle East." He added that the measures are being carried out quietly but smoothly. He added, "This is happening quietly, but it’s being done without any problems." Tensions have been rising in the region recently as the military confrontation between the United States and Iran has escalated. The U.S. government is reportedly proceeding with evacuation measures in some areas to protect its citizens and diplomatic personnel.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) attacked US military bases located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Kuwait, Iranian state media reported. On the 6th (local time), Walter Bloomberg, citing Iranian state media, said the IRGC had designated the Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE and the Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait as targets. The two bases are regarded as key US air bases in the Middle East, playing an important role in reconnaissance and strike operations as well as the operation of air defense systems. The attack was said to be in retaliation for recent US and Israeli military operations against Iran. Military tensions across the Middle East are rapidly escalating over US bases and energy infrastructure.

The three major U.S. stock indexes closed lower. The Nasdaq Composite Index on the 6th fell 0.26% from the previous session to 22,748.99 points. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1.61% to 47,854.19 points, while the S&P 500 Index slipped 0.62% to end at 6,827.20 points.

Kuwait is reported to have partially scaled back operations at its refineries in the wake of disruptions from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. According to Walter Bloomberg on the 5th (local time), Kuwait reduced crude throughput at some refineries as setbacks emerged in crude exports and transportation. The Strait of Hormuz is known as a critical maritime shipping lane through which about 20% of global oil supplies pass. Over the same period, Indian refiners were seen urgently securing Russian crude. Sources said Indian refiners are purchasing several million barrels of Russian crude cargoes available for immediate delivery. With global crude supply jitters intensifying amid military conflict in the Middle East and disruptions to maritime transport, Asian refiners are seen moving to secure alternative sources of supply.

U.S. investment bank TD Cowen said it expects additional digital-asset (cryptocurrency) companies to have a strong chance of securing Federal Reserve (Fed) master accounts this year. According to The Block, a digital-asset (cryptocurrency) news outlet, TD Cowen said similar cases could follow after crypto exchange Kraken won approval for a Fed master account. TD Cowen explained, "Given that U.S. President Donald Trump has supported the digital-asset industry, approval for crypto firms to obtain master accounts was effectively inevitable." It added, "There is a possibility that additional approval announcements could come in the coming months." TD Cowen also raised the possibility that the banking industry could push back by filing lawsuits, but stressed that "banks have no authority to block these approvals themselves."

Paul Atkins, chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), said clear rules are needed for the domestic cryptoasset (cryptocurrency) market. According to Watcher.Guru on X (formerly Twitter) on the 5th (local time), Atkins said, “The United States needs a clear regulatory framework for the cryptoasset market.” He explained that if regulatory clarity is secured, market participants would be able to operate their businesses in a more stable environment. In the United States, policy discussions over a cryptoasset regulatory framework have continued, including ongoing debate over the CLARITY Act, a bill on crypto market structure.

The three major U.S. stock indexes are trading lower. As of 04:02 on the 6th, the Nasdaq Composite is down 1.21% from the previous session at 22,532.39 points. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is down 2.14% at 47,695.93, while the S&P 500 is down 1.30% at 6,779.95.

Iranian authorities said they have no intention of blocking the Strait of Hormuz. On the 5th (local time), Walter Bloomberg reported that Iran said it has no plan to block the Strait of Hormuz. Earlier on the 3rd, multiple foreign media outlets reported that a senior official of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had issued a warning that Iran would block the Strait of Hormuz. The Strait of Hormuz is known as a strategic maritime shipping route through which about 20% of the world’s oil supply passes. Whether the strait is blocked is seen as a factor that could have a major impact on global energy supplies and oil prices.

An analysis has found that cases of sanctioned countries—such as Russia, Iran and North Korea—using crypto assets (cryptocurrencies) to evade sanctions are rising sharply. According to crypto-focused outlet CoinDesk on the 5th (local time), blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis said in a report that sanctioned entities received at least $104 billion worth of crypto assets last year. That is about an eightfold increase from 2024. Over the same period, the total value of illicit crypto-asset transactions was estimated at about $154 billion, marking the highest level on record. Chainalysis projected that if the trend continues, the scale of illicit financial activity could set a new all-time high in 2025. The report specifically cited A7A5, an issuer of a ruble-pegged stablecoin, as a case in point. The token was assessed to have functioned as a payment system enabling sanctioned Russian companies to carry out cross-border trade settlements. A7A5 is known to have processed about $93.3 billion in transactions in less than a year since its launch.

US President Donald Trump argued that the United States should play a direct role in the question of Iran’s next leader following the death of the country’s supreme leader. According to Walter Bloomberg on the 5th (local time), Trump said in an interview, “The United States should be involved in who Iran’s next leader will be.” He added that Washington should guard against the emergence of a leader similar to the existing power elite. He expressed a negative view of Mojtaba Khamenei, who is being cited as a leading successor to the supreme leader, saying, “Iran needs a leader who will bring harmony and peace, not someone who takes the country back to past policies.” Trump also compared Iran’s succession situation to the case of Venezuela, underscoring his view that the United States should be actively involved in shifts in the Middle East’s political landscape. He went on to claim that US military operations are delivering results in the region, and also mentioned the possibility of military action by Western-backed Kurdish forces.

The U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is reportedly reviewing a plan that would allow digital-asset (cryptocurrency) exchanges to issue tax documents to users exclusively in electronic form. According to The Block, a digital-asset news outlet, on the 5th (local time) the IRS put forward a proposal to grant exchanges such as Coinbase and Kraken the authority to issue tax documents electronically. Previously, exchanges were required to provide users with an option to receive paper copies. The proposal would remove that requirement and allow tax documents to be issued only as electronic documents. The change is said to be tied to the digital-asset transaction reporting system that took effect this year. Under the system, intermediaries such as exchanges must report to the IRS users’ gross proceeds and cost basis from digital-asset sales. The IRS plans to levy taxes based on the reported data. Whether to implement the electronic-issuance allowance will be discussed after a public comment process.