π° Hourly Briefing | 2026-07-25 12:00 CST
Middle East tensions escalate: Yemeni missiles strike Saudi Arabia's Jizan and Yanbu regions, Saudi civil defense issues emergency alerts; WTI crude plunges over 5% intraday before recovering to $90.89, Trump says Iran situation progressing well but Iran "not ready" for a deal; Trip.com fined Β₯5.179 billion for antitrust violations.
π Market Snapshot
| Asset | Price | Change | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spot Gold (XAUUSD) | 4053.38 | +4.29 (+0.11%) | 4022β4082 |
| WTI Crude (USOIL) | 90.89 | -1.90 (-2.05%) | 88.11β93.22 |
Gold trades in a narrow range, facing resistance at 4082 before pulling back. Crude oil sees violent swings with an intraday high-low spread exceeding $5, briefly dipping to 88.11 before bouncing.
π₯ Key News This Hour
Middle East: Yemen has again launched missile strikes against Saudi Arabia, with explosions reported in the Jizan and Yanbu regions. Saudi Civil Defense issued emergency alerts for both areas, later declaring the danger had passed. Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi stated at the SCO foreign ministers’ meeting that Iran does not fear threats and will not yield to the US. Trump claimed at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner that the Iran situation is “progressing very well” but said Iran is “not ready” to reach a deal, adding that the US has “badly hurt Iran.” Separately, the New York Times reported that Trump abruptly switched aircraft when departing the NATO summit in Turkey earlier this month after US officials determined credible intelligence indicated Iranian proxy forces were targeting him and Air Force One.
Trip.com Antitrust: China’s State Administration for Market Regulation fined Trip.com Group Β₯5.179 billion for abusing its dominant market position. Trip.com responded that it sincerely accepts and complies with the penalty. People’s Daily commented that the move sends a strong signal of “anti-monopoly and anti-involution.”
Tech Updates: SpaceX’s Starship completed its 13th test flight, with the spacecraft successfully splashing down in the Indian Ocean. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung met with the CEOs of Anthropic, OpenAI, Nvidia, and Broadcom to discuss AI cooperation.
π§ Situation Assessment
Saudi Arabia has been hit by consecutive Yemeni missile strikes. Although civil defense quickly lifted the alerts, the military confrontation from the Red Sea direction is now spreading from Yemen to Saudi territory itself β a more dangerous development than Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping.
WTI briefly plunged to $88 intraday, but with Middle East geopolitical risks still in play, the downside support for oil prices will not be easily broken. The $90 area is now a fiercely contested battleground between bulls and bears.
Gold faces clear resistance above 4080, but escalating Middle East tensions and dollar uncertainty provide support. Short-term consolidation in the 4000β4100 range appears the most likely scenario.
Trump’s claim that the Iran situation is “progressing well” stands in sharp contrast to Iran’s hardline stance. There is a significant divergence in expectations around negotiations β do not hold high hopes for a near-term diplomatic breakthrough.
The Trip.com Β₯5.1 billion fine combined with People’s Daily commentary signals a new phase of platform economy antitrust enforcement. The policy risk premium for Chinese ADRs needs to be repriced.
β° Upcoming Key Data
- July 27βAug 2 Week: Critical data week ahead of the Fed rate decision, watch for PCE inflation, advance GDP, and consumer confidence
- Ongoing: Middle East developments, US-Iran negotiations, Hurricane Genevieve’s trajectory and impact on Gulf of Mexico crude production