US and Israeli Attacks Have Killed at Least 555 in Iran: Iranian Red Crescent

Oil Plunges, Stocks Spike As Trump "Postpones" Military Strikes On Iran After "Productive" Talks; Tehran Denies Contact Update (0745ET): Well that didn't take long - and consider the source - but Iran’s state news agency rejects Trump’s claim of 'constructive conversations' "There is no direct contact with Trump, not even through intermediaries," Fars News reports, citing a source. "Trump backed off after hearing that our targets would be all power plants in West Asia." Oil is rebounding and stocks retreating modestly on the news... IRAN SAYS THERE WAS NO DIRECT OR INDIRECT CONTACT WITH TRUMP...

Iran escalation, fragile debt markets, and gold flashing warning signs. Mark Thornton explains why this bubble won’t end gently.

The Persian Gulf is the most consequential body of water in the global economy. Its narrow exit — the Strait of Hormuz, just 33 kilometres wide at its narrowest point — acts as a valve through which flows an extraordinary share of the world’s energy and agricultural inputs. A sustained closure of that valve by […]