US Imposes Fresh Sanctions Targeting Iran Oil Trade, Hezbollah

Political

Economic

Summary:

The U.S. imposed sanctions on Thursday against a network that smuggles Iranian oil disguised as Iraqi oil, and on a Hezbollah-controlled financial institution.

The U.S. imposed sanctions on Thursday against a network that smuggles Iranian oil disguised as Iraqi oil, and on a Hezbollah-controlled financial institution, the Treasury Department said.

A network of companies run by Iraqi-British national Salim Ahmed Said has been buying and shipping billions of dollars worth of Iranian oil disguised as, or blended with, Iraqi oil since at least 2020, the department said.

"Treasury will continue to target Tehran's revenue sources and intensify economic pressure to disrupt the regime's access to the financial resources that fuel its destabilizing activities,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.

The U.S. has imposed waves of sanctions on Iran's oil exports over its nuclear program and funding of militant groups across the Middle East.

Reuters reported late last year that a fuel oil smuggling network that generates at least $1 billion a year for Iran and its proxies has flourished in Iraq since 2022.

Thursday's sanctions came after the U.S. carried out strikes on June 22 on three Iranian nuclear sites, including its most deeply buried enrichment plant Fordow. The Pentagon said on Wednesday the strikes had degraded Iran's nuclear program by up to two years, despite a far more cautious initial assessment that had leaked to the public.

The U.S. and Iran are expected to hold talks about its nuclear program next week in Oslo, Axios reported.

Said's companies and vessels blend Iranian oil with Iraqi oil, which is then sold to Western buyers via Iraq or the United Arab Emirates as purely Iraqi oil using forged documentation to avoid sanctions, Treasury said.

Said controls UAE-based company VS Tankers though he avoids formal association with it, Treasury said. Formerly known as Al-Iraqia Shipping Services & Oil Trading (AISSOT), VS Tankers has smuggled oil for the benefit of the Iranian government and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which is designated by Washington as a terrorist organization, it said.

The sanctions block U.S. assets of those designated and prevent Americans from doing business with them.

VS Tankers did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Iran's mission in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The U.S. also sanctioned several vessels that are accused of engaging in the covert delivery of Iranian oil, intensifying pressure on Iran's “shadow fleet,” it said.

The Treasury Department also issued sanctions against several senior officials and one entity associated with the Hezbollah-controlled financial institution Al-Qard Al-Hassan.

The officials, the department said, conducted millions of dollars in transactions that ultimately benefited, but obscured, Hezbollah.

Source: Reuters

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Warren Takunda

Cryptocurrency

Key points:

Bitcoin quickly reversed gains as US nonfarm payrolls data beat expectations and unemployment fell more than thought.

Analysis says that the Federal Reserve is now unlikely to lower interest rates at its July meeting.

BTC price action still has to break through final liquidity to the upside.

Bitcoin saw flash volatility into the Thursday Wall Street open as US employment data dealt a blow to hopes of interest-rate cuts. Bitcoin Dices With $110K as US Jobs Beat Takes Fed Rate Cut 'Off Table'_1

Bitcoin Dices With $110K as US Jobs Beat Takes Fed Rate Cut 'Off Table'_1

BTC/USD 1-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

”Very hot” US jobs numbers trip up Bitcoin bulls

Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView showed BTC/USD retracing much of the day’s gains, which had seen the pair reach nearly $110,300.

US nonfarm payrolls data showed that more jobs were added in June than expected, while unemployment exceeded estimates.

“The May jobs number was revised UP from 139,000 to 144,000. The headline numbers continue to crush expectations,” trading resource The Kobeissi Letter wrote in part of a response on X.

Kobeissi described the jobs numbers as “very hot,” warning that the Federal Reserve now had another reason to delay rate cuts, a blow to crypto and risk assets.

Business consulting firm Blacknox, cofounders of crypto trading resource Material Indicators, went further, stating that the unemployment drop “takes a FED Rate Cut in July off the table.”

“Fed Funds Futures now just price in 2 cuts in total until December 2025,” Andre Dragosch, European head of research at crypto asset manager Bitwise, noted.

Nonfarm payrolls contrasted considerably with the previous day’s private-sector jobs report, which conversely boosted the case for a July cut.

The latest data from CME Group’s FedWatch Tool confirmed that markets saw little chance of the Fed changing course before its September meeting. Bitcoin Dices With $110K as US Jobs Beat Takes Fed Rate Cut 'Off Table'_2

Bitcoin Dices With $110K as US Jobs Beat Takes Fed Rate Cut 'Off Table'_2

Fed target rate probabilities (screenshot). Source: CME Group

Liquidity guardrails still surround BTC price

Discussing market impact, Material Indicators co-founder Keith Alan was upbeat.

“A lower UNRATE means a stronger US economy,” he responded to the Blacknox commentary.

“The knee jerk reaction has knocked $BTC price down a bit, but IMO this is short term thinking. In the long run, a stronger economy will serve the market well.”

BTC liquidation heatmap. Source: CoinGlass

Market structure likewise remained intact on short timeframes, monitoring resource CoinGlass confirmed, with exchange order-book liquidity levels both above and below price firmly in place.

Among traders, the $108,000 level continued to play an essential role, with analysis demanding it now hold as support.

“As long as we stay above $108K, I’m aiming for $112K - maybe even $120K,” crypto YouTube trading channel Master of Crypto added, while reviewing the liquidity data.

Source: Cointelegraph

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Thomas

Economic

There were plenty of good details to report in today's jobs report: the unexpected surge in monthly jobs (which came almost above the top of the forecast range), the drop in unemployment, the moderation in hourly earnings, the continued loss of federal workers, the jump in full-time jobs and the drop in part-time jobs.

There were also several not so good aspects: first and foremost, the narrow breadth in hiring, with most job growth in June the result of Education and Health services (+51K), and Government (+73), which are government, or government-linked, sectors.

As Soutbay Research put it, the June Payrolls were derived from two sources: Healthcare (+59K) and Public Schools (+64K).

Public Schools: Summer break layoffs were understated in the June release. Either the July revision brings them down OR the July Public Education payrolls go deeply negative.
- July Best Case: June comes down ~40K and Public Education is flat in July
- July Worst Case: July Public Education payrolls are -40K

On the other end, private sector payrolls were soft: excluding healthcare, Southbay says to expect the Private Sector to be flat or possibly negative.

Meanwhile, even though it was not yet captured by the jobs report, there has been plenty of firing, with the best examples being Intel and Microsoft just announcing a combined 18K in layoffs.

As SouthBay concludes, "only another Hail Mary Seasonal Adjustment can prevent a negative print."

Another less then stellar aspect of today's report is that the number of multiple job holders actually soared by 282K, one of the biggest monthly increases on record, and one which pushed the total just shy of a new all time high.

But while no jobs report is without blemishes, the positives far outweighed the negatives, maybe not so much quantitatively then certainly qualitatively, because as we noted earlier, the most important metric of today's jobs report is arguably what got Trump elected in the first place.

Recall back in January 2024 we first asked how is it not the biggest political talking point that since 2019, the US had only added foreign-born workers (which as we subsequently showed were primarily illegal aliens) while native workers remained flat or declined.

Less than a year later, illegal immigration in general, and its impact on the labor market indeed had become the biggest political talking point and one which one can argue got Trump elected.

So in retrospect, we can report today that Trump has certainly been working hard to resolve the situation and according to today's job report, the number of native-born workers has taken a decisive step higher, rising to a new all time high while foreign-born workers have been plunging ever since the election.

Here are the details:

In June, the US added 830K native-born workers, pushing the total to a new record high of 132.652 million, hopefully ending the stagnant period which started in 2019 which saw zero native-born workers be added to the US labor force.
At the same time, the US saw 348K foreign-born workers leave, sending the total to a 2025 low of 31.231 million.

Extending the observation window since the start of Trump's admin (i.e., since March which covers the end of the first full month of the Trump admin), we find an even more impressive result: the number of native born workers has surged by 1.5 million while foreign-born (primarily illegals) have tumbled by 1 million.

So while one can certainly find warts in the broader jobs report - and with the economy 5 years into its post-covid expansion there better be weaknesses - the one thing that matters more than anything to most Americans, not having to compete with illegal aliens for jobs which not only pushes demand higher but also wages, is one where Trump can certainly say mission accomplished, for now.

Source: Zero Hedge

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Warren Takunda

Economic

The odds of a rate cut at the Federal Reserve's next meeting evaporated after a resilient jobs report for June alleviated concerns about a slowing US economy.

"You are not getting a July rate cut — that is now completely off the table," Joe Brusuelas, RSM chief economist, told Yahoo Finance.

Traders agree with that assessment. On Thursday morning, the odds of a cut at the Fed's July 28-29 meeting fell near 5% from nearly 25%, according to the CME FedWatch tool.

"The markets are speaking," Interactive Brokers chief strategist Steve Sosnick added. He told Yahoo Finance the likelihood of a Fed cut was "evaporating" in the aftermath of the latest labor market report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The report showed the US economy added 147,000 nonfarm payrolls in June, more than the 106,000 expected by economists. The unemployment rate unexpectedly fell to 4.1%. Economists had expected the unemployment rate to move higher to 4.3%. July Rate Cut From Fed Is 'Now Completely Off the Table' Following Solid Jobs Report_1

July Rate Cut From Fed Is 'Now Completely Off the Table' Following Solid Jobs Report_1

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has cited a resilient economy as he argues for a patient approach to rate cuts. The strength of the US economy, he has said, gives the Fed time to assess whether President Trump's tariffs will, in fact, push inflation higher over the summer.

Brusuelas of RSM said the jobs report "is feeding right into what Jerome Powell said," namely that the economy is "not in trouble right now."

Trump has repeatedly pressured Powell to stop waiting and start cutting again, making that case again this week.

The case for looser monetary policy being made by the White House is "a tough sell," Sosnick said. "'The economy is great but we need rate cuts at the same time.' That’s cognitive dissonance.'"

But Fed watchers expect the White House pressure campaign to continue. Brusuelas noted that the criticism is now being aimed not just at the Fed but at the entire Fed board.

Trump said Powell "should resign immediately" in a Truth Social post Wednesday night. On Monday, he posted a note he sent to Powell telling the Fed chair, "Jerome—You are, as usual, 'Too Late,'" and arguing that he has "cost the USA a fortune."

Trump on Truth Social also widened his criticism to the entire Fed board: "The Board just sits there and watches, so they are equally to blame."

Fed governors Christoper Waller and Michelle Bowman have both made a case for rate cuts in July since the last Fed meeting, arguing that any inflation from tariffs will not linger.

But others have urged more patience. Atlanta Fed president Raphael Bostic said in a speech Thursday in the UK that he “fully supports” the Fed’s wait-and-see policy prescription.

“I believe the Committee must await more clarity rather than move in a policy direction that it might need to quickly reverse,” Bostic said.

For now, job market conditions remain broadly healthy, he added, even as signs point to softening, pointing out that the pace of hiring has slowed but that layoffs and unemployment remain at low levels.

“I don’t yet see signs of serious labor market deterioration,” he said.

He said if not for the potential impact of tariffs on prices—as well as the consequences of the current turmoil in the Middle East—he would be “pretty comfortable” with the inflation outlook.

“For me, the main punchline is that the adjustment of prices and the broader economy to changes in trade and other forthcoming policies in the United States, along with geopolitical developments, is not going to be a short and simple one-time shift in prices, as standard textbook models would suggest,” he said.

“Instead, this increasingly looks like a process that may take a year or more to fully play out.”

Earlier this week, Powell didn't rule out an interest rate reduction at the Fed's next meeting on July 28-29, but he noted the central bank would have cut rates by now if not for the tariffs introduced by the Trump administration.

"We went on hold when we saw the size of the tariffs and essentially all inflation forecasts for the United States went up materially as a consequence of the tariffs," he said.

The Fed lowered rates by a full percentage point in 2024 but has held rates steady so far in 2025.

"I wouldn't take any meeting off the table or put it directly on the table," Powell said when asked about the possibility of a cut in July. "It's going to depend on how the data evolved."

Source: Yahoofinance

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Daniel Carter

Economic

Central Bank

In prepared remarks for an economic conference in Germany, Bostic explained that adjustments to changes in trade policies, other U.S. policies, and geopolitical developments would not result in a simple one-time shift in prices as standard economic models might suggest.

"Instead, this increasingly looks like a process that may take a year or more to fully play out," Bostic said.

He warned that this extended inflation period could potentially influence consumer psychology and inflation expectations, creating more significant challenges for the Federal Reserve.

Bostic noted that new economic data released Thursday showed stronger-than-expected job creation and a slight decrease in the unemployment rate to 4.1%, indicating "labor market conditions remain broadly healthy." He added that the job market is not yet showing signs of deterioration that would justify preemptive interest rate cuts.

Given the high level of uncertainty surrounding jobs, economic growth, and inflation, Bostic argued that "this is no time for significant shifts in monetary policy." He endorsed the Federal Open Market Committee’s current "wait and see" approach.

The Federal Reserve has maintained its policy interest rate unchanged since December, despite calls from President Donald Trump for immediate and substantial rate reductions.

Source: Investing

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Damon

Political

Crude oil prices fell to a low of $66.54 on Friday, down over 1%, following an Axios report that a White House envoy plans to meet with Iran’s foreign minister in Oslo next week to restart nuclear talks.

The potential diplomatic engagement comes after President Trump ordered military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities last month. According to the report, White House envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, though neither country has publicly confirmed the meeting.

Oil markets reacted to the news as renewed nuclear negotiations could eventually lead to the lifting of sanctions on Iranian oil exports, potentially increasing global supply. Iran holds some of the world’s largest proven oil reserves, and any return of Iranian crude to international markets would likely pressure prices.

The reported talks would mark the first direct engagement between the two countries since the recent 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran that ended in a U.S.-brokered ceasefire. Sources cited by Axios indicate that Witkoff and Araghchi have maintained direct contact during and after this conflict.

A key focus of any future negotiations would be Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, which reportedly includes 400 kilograms enriched to 60% purity. This level of enrichment is close to weapons-grade material, which requires 90% enrichment.

Omani and Qatari officials have reportedly been involved in mediating between the U.S. and Iran, with Iranian officials initially reluctant to engage with the U.S. following the military strikes but gradually softening their position.

Source: Investing

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Adam

Economic

President Donald Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" is on the cusp of passage, after House fiscal conservatives gave up demands of deeper spending cuts and moderate Republicans came to terms with the size of Medicaid cuts. The fact that House Speaker Mike Johnson got pulled from both sides of his party meant that neither side could be assured of a better deal if revisions proved necessary.

Wall Street never thought it was possible that the GOP would fail to renew the 2017 tax cuts, since that would tank the economy. The most important market reaction may come from bond investors. So far, there's no sign of concern that U.S. deficits are getting too large to comfortably finance.

The Deficit Effect

The Congressional Budget Office said Tuesday that the final changes to the Senate version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (or OBBBA) added $110 billion to deficits vs. the prior version. Some of those last-minute changes were focused on extending the time for renewable energy projects to take advantage of Inflation Reduction Act production tax credits. The Senate also doubled the size of an emergency fund to support rural hospitals facing Medicaid cuts to $50 billion.

Based on the current-law baseline, which assumes expiration of most 2017 tax cuts at the end of this year, CBO said that the OBBBA has $4.5 trillion in tax cuts and $1.1 trillion in spending cuts, raising deficits by $3.4 trillion. Based on current policy, CBO said the Senate bill would cut spending by $1.25 trillion and lower taxes by $850 billion, lowering the deficit by about $400 billion.

The prior score showed that the Senate cut a few hundred billion less than the House in food aid and student loans. That only partly explains why the bill — despite bigger cuts to projected Medicaid spending — fell about $900 billion short of the fiscal bar set by the House, which required that tax cuts exceed spending cuts by no more than $2.5 trillion over 10 years. The Senate also spent an extra $344 billion than the House version on business tax incentives for expensing equipment purchases and funding research and development.

The brunt of the deficits would come in the next few years. Relative to the current-law baseline that assumes expiration of the tax cuts, the deficit would be higher by $443 billion in fiscal 2026, $538 billion in 2027 and $508 billion in 2028. The deficit increase tails off to a range of $256 billion to $319 billion from 2030 onward.

Medicaid Cuts

On June 24, 16 House Republicans wrote to Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson, taking issue with the Senate version of the bill that fails to "give hospitals time to adjust to new budgetary constraints."

Before those last-minute tweaks, the CBO said the Senate bill included roughly $930 billion in cuts to Medicaid spending and about $230 billion in cuts to spending on tax credits to buy insurance on the Affordable Care Act health insurance exchanges. By comparison, the House sought $793 billion in Medicaid cuts.

The CBO said 4.8 million Medicaid recipients would become uninsured due to an 80-hour work requirement for able-bodied adults who aren't caregivers for a child or disabled family member. The work requirements are projected to save $317 billion over 10 years.

An additional $183 billion would come from limiting state taxes on medical providers, gradually lowering the ceiling to 3.5% from 6% for states that expanded Medicaid under the ACA. States plow those taxes into benefit payments, which leaves providers no worse off, yet the federal government faces a higher bill to cover its share of Medicaid costs.

Some states have directed Medicaid managed care operators to reimburse medical providers at up to 100% of commercial insurance reimbursement rates. The Big Beautiful Bill would lower that to 100% of Medicare rates in states that expanded Medicaid.

New Tax Cuts

New OBBBA tax cuts include a deduction of overtime pay of up to $12,500 for single filers earning up to $150,0000, with a phase out for higher earners. The $90 billion cost is limited by having it sunset after 2028.

A deduction of tipped income of up to $25,000 for $150,000 earners would cost $32 billion.

A deduction of up to $10,000 for loans on U.S.-assembled autos costs $31 billion.

The bill largely fulfills President Trump's campaign pledge to end taxes on Social Security income by providing a new $6,000 deduction for seniors. That measure carries a $93 billion cost, $27 billion more than the $66 billion cost of the House's $4,000 deduction.

The bill boosts the child tax credit to $2,200 from $2,000, though the refundable amount for those who don't owe income taxes is held at $1,700. Both figures rise with inflation. If not extended, the child tax credit would revert to $1,000 for 2026. The entire cost is $817 billion.

The bulk of the bill's costs come from renewing the 2017 cut in marginal income-tax rates ($2.2 trillion), a 20% business deduction ($737 billion) and limiting exposure to the estate tax ($212 billion).

Other OBBBA Spending Cuts

About $186 billion in spending cuts are aimed at the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, including a work requirement estimated to lower funding by $69 billion.

Limiting student loans and adjusting repayment options is estimated to save $307 billion.

The termination of green energy tax credits, including for buying electric vehicles and producing solar and wind energy, faced roughly $550 billion in cuts before the final Senate bill tweaks.