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Mokhtar Haddad, editor-in-chief of the Iranian newspaper Al-Vifaq, stated that recent reports in the US media regarding the US Secretary of State's statement that there would be no new strikes against Iran reveal a clear strategy: the US hopes to maintain the current standoff before the midterm elections and then resume broader military operations after the elections. The midterm elections are crucial for them; they want to get through this phase before launching any military action. However, Iran will not simply wait for the midterm elections to conclude. Furthermore, Haddad stated that the blockades and sanctions announced by the US are not substantially new, and anyone familiar with US policy can see that they are nothing new. If Iran sees that the US has not complied with its conditions and has not returned to the memorandum of understanding, Iran will take necessary measures. Iran's adjustments to its military strategy during this period reflect this attitude.

According to Russian media citing the Russian Ministry of Defense, the Russian military shot down 426 drones overnight.

Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Minoru Jonouchi: The CPI is expected to gradually rise due to the situation in the Middle East.

The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that the Msta-S artillery group from the 288th Guards Artillery Brigade destroyed a Ukrainian drone command post near Kupyansk.

St. Louis Federal Reserve: For the week ending August 24, average fuel prices in the United States rose slightly: diesel rose to $5.65 per gallon from $5.45 a week earlier, and gasoline rose to $4.09 from $4.05.

The yield on Japan's two-year government bonds rose 2.0 basis points to 1.695%.

Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama stated that Japan is seeking to attract financial services companies and various investments from Australia, emphasizing the importance of the Australia-Japan relationship amid escalating geopolitical tensions.

NI225 reversed its earlier decline and is currently up 0.7%.

According to Politico, Republican Senator James Lankford, after his visit to Kyiv, admitted he could not assure Ukrainian President Zelensky that Congress would soon approve the long-awaited new round of sanctions against Russia, while Zelensky urged swift consideration. Lankford also expressed skepticism about the possibility of an agreement between Moscow and Kyiv, but believed that CIA Director John Ratcliffe's recent secret visit to Russia might have been productive. Previously, the US Senate overwhelmingly passed a bill drafted with the participation of the late Senator Lindsey Graham. The proposal stipulated a 100% tariff on the five largest buyers of Russian energy and a 500% tariff on all Russian goods imported into the US. The bill was subsequently sent to the House of Representatives, but due to the House recess until August 31, lawmakers will not begin considering it until September.

Nvidia (NVDA.O) is scheduled to release its second-quarter earnings report after the US stock market closes on Wednesday. According to a FactSet survey of analysts, second-quarter revenue is expected to be $92.27 billion, up from $46.74 billion in the same period last year; net income is expected to be $51.55 billion, or $2.11 per share, compared to $26.42 billion, or $1.08 per share, in the same period last year. Analysts expect Nvidia's adjusted earnings per share to be $2.09, up from $1.05 in the same period last year. Nvidia is increasingly transforming from a pure computing chip supplier into a financier of broader artificial intelligence infrastructure. This expansion of funding, along with other long-term themes, is likely to be central to investor focus and debate. Analysts at Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan Chase believe that investors will focus on issues including Nvidia's funding strategy, its China business, competitive threats in the semiconductor sector, future gross margins, and the rollout progress of the Vera Rubin chip. It is particularly noteworthy that the Rubin chip is unlikely to have a substantial impact until at least the October quarter. Benchmark analyst Cody Acree said that given the already high market expectations for Nvidia, investors still need to see incremental evidence this time, not just another routine better-than-expected earnings report and upward guidance.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessenter: I thank the Bahrainian Minister of Finance and Economy for his coordination in the “economic isolation” action. We will continue to work closely with President Trump to defend the integrity of the global financial system and weaken the threat posed by the Iranian regime.

JPMorgan Chase lowered its price target for Dick Sports (DKS.N) from $245 to $188.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Secret Service said on Tuesday that the agency has taken note of a video broadcast on Iranian state television discussing a possible plot to assassinate President Trump's youngest son, Barron, and will investigate any threats that could be interpreted as targeting a protected individual. "For operational security reasons, we do not discuss protective intelligence matters," the spokesperson added.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the U.S. Pacific Command said on Wednesday that the United States is preparing to hold trilateral military exercises with South Korea and Japan, indicating that the exercises are proceeding as planned despite Trump's recent instructions to scale back the joint U.S.-South Korea exercises.

Microsoft 365 has confirmed that the issue affecting Microsoft Teams services in the Asia-Pacific region has been resolved.

Several innovative drug and vaccine ETFs rose, with the Hang Seng Innovative Drug ETF (520500), the Hong Kong Stock Connect Innovative Drug ETF (159506), and the Vaccine ETF (562860) all rising by more than 4%.

Asian Development Bank: Issued 20 billion yen in yen-denominated bonds to fund projects related to water infrastructure.

The governor of Russia’s Tambov region said that a Wildberries warehouse in the region caught fire after a drone attack.

JERA, Japan's largest power company, will invest in Emerald AI in the United States to advance energy solutions for artificial intelligence data centers.

The yield on Japan's 20-year government bonds fell 2.0 basis points to 4.040%.