WASHINGTON – The Federal Reserve on Wednesday voted to hold its key interest rate steady as policymakers navigate their way through higher-than-expected inflation readings, mixed signs on the labor market – and a war. In a widely expected decision, the Federal Open Market Committee voted 11-1 to keep the benchmark federal funds rate anchored in…
President Donald Trump issued a 60-day waiver of a longstanding U.S. shipping law in an attempt to stabilize oil markets amid the Iran war, the White House confirmed to CNBC on Wednesday. The temporary suspension of the Jones Act “will allow vital resources like oil, natural gas, fertilizer, and coal to flow freely to U.S….
Iran’s then incumbent Minister of Intelligence Esmail Khatib (C) sits with Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian (C-R) before a speech to members of parliament in the capital Tehran, on August 17, 2024, as he defends his cabinet selection. Atta Kenare | Afp | Getty Images Israel’s Defense Forces said Wednesday that Iran’s Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib…
Tankers sail in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, near the border with Oman’s Musandam governance, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in United Arab Emirates, March 11, 2026. Stringer | Reuters French Finance Minister Roland Lescure told CNBC that France is willing to support the U.S. in…
A smoke plume rise from an ongoing fire near Dubai International Airport in Dubai on March 16, 2026. – | Afp | Getty Images Iran intensified attacks against U.S. assets in the Middle East and Israel on Wednesday in apparent retaliation against the killing of the country’s security chief Ali Larijani overnight, as the weeks-long…
Commercial vessels are pictured offshore in Dubai on March 11, 2026. – | Afp | Getty Images Iran’s de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has stoked fears of the gravest disruption to global oil supply in history, as the Middle East conflict stretches into its third week. The blockade has squeezed shipping traffic…
A pump jack is seen on March 17, 2026 in Stanton, Texas. Brandon Bell | Getty Images Oil prices slipped on Wednesday despite escalating attacks on the United Arab Emirates’ energy infrastructure, as rising U.S. crude inventories helped offset rising geopolitical risk premiums. Prices of Brent, the international benchmark, declined 1.17% to $102.19 per barrel….
Low angle view of tall buildings in Tokyo, Japan, showcasing diverse architectural styles George Pachantouris | Moment | Getty Images Asia-Pacific markets were set to climb Wednesday as investors tracked escalating tensions in the Middle East. A fresh wave of attacks on the United Arab Emirates’ energy infrastructure has heightened fears of prolonged supply disruptions amid the…
Industrial-focused stocks have been stumbling since the start of the Iran war on fears that higher oil prices will ignite a fresh wave of inflation and make it difficult to transport goods to and from the Mideast. Club holdings Honeywell , Dover , and Linde each have a way to weather the storm. Honeywell Honeywell…
Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, testifies during the House Homeland Security Committee hearing titled “Worldwide Threats to the Homeland,” in Cannon building on Wednesday, December 11, 2025. Tom Williams | Cq-roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent on Tuesday announced he will resign in response to the…
