Key Takeaways
- US-Israel Defense Collaboration Deepens Amidst Iran Conflict: US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed the "complete obliteration" of three Iranian nuclear sites and missile production capabilities following joint "Operation Midnight Hammer" in June 2025, highlighting intensified regional tensions.
- UK Gas Storage Faces Critical Winter Shutdown Threat: Centrica's (CNA.L) Rough facility, accounting for half of the UK's gas storage, risks decommissioning without a £2 billion government-backed overhaul, posing a significant threat to the nation's energy security and potentially leading to winter blackouts.
- China Imposes Six-Month Ban on New Car Resales: Beijing's new regulation aims to combat "zero-mileage used car" sales and inflated reporting by banning the resale of new vehicles within six months of registration, impacting global automakers and the Chinese market.
- Iran's Financial System Hit by Prolonged POS Outage: Point-of-sale terminals across Iran experienced a multi-hour outage, far exceeding the Central Bank's claimed 35-minute glitch, indicating a more severe disruption to the nation's financial transactions.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met with Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz at the Pentagon on July 18, 2025, signaling a deepening of US-Israel defense ties amidst escalating Middle East tensions. Their discussions centered on the recent "Operation Rising Lion," an Iran-Israel conflict from June 13-24, 2025, and the subsequent joint "Operation Midnight Hammer" on June 21, 2025.
Secretary Hegseth congratulated Minister Katz on the "incredibly successful" operations, noting that the joint mission "completely obliterated" three Iranian nuclear sites—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan—and destroyed Iran's missile production capability. Hegseth lauded Israel as a "model ally" and reaffirmed the United States' commitment to reinforcing Israel's right to self-defense, emphasizing that the actions "remade the region" and created opportunities for peace, should Iran choose that path. Minister Katz expressed gratitude to former President Donald Trump for the "brave and historic decision" that led to Operation Midnight Hammer. This high-level meeting follows a visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the Pentagon just over a week prior, underscoring the intensified strategic cooperation between the two nations.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom's energy security faces a critical challenge as Centrica (CNA.L), the owner of the Rough gas storage facility, warns of a possible winter shutdown. The Rough site, which accounts for half of the UK's natural gas storage capacity, is at risk of decommissioning unless the government underwrites a substantial £2 billion overhaul. Centrica CEO Chris O'Shea stated that the facility is losing approximately £100 million annually and requires a "cap-and-floor mechanism" to fund its redevelopment, which would allow it to store hydrogen alongside natural gas.
The UK government has maintained that the future of Rough is a "commercial decision" for Centrica, though it remains open to discussions on gas storage proposals that offer value for taxpayers. If the Rough facility, capable of meeting Britain's gas needs for six days (or up to 30 days if upgraded), were to close, it would significantly increase the risk of gas shortages and potential blackouts during peak winter demand, making the UK more reliant on imported gas. The site was previously decommissioned in 2017 but was reopened in 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, highlighting its strategic importance.
In the automotive sector, China's industry ministry is set to implement a new policy banning the resale of new cars within six months of their initial registration. This measure is reportedly aimed at curbing the practice of selling "zero-mileage used cars" and addressing inflated sales figures by some manufacturers. State media specifically cited Zeekr (owned by Geely (0175.HK)) and Neta for inflating sales through schemes involving pre-purchased insurance.
The move is expected to impact both domestic and international automakers operating in China, including major players like Tesla (TSLA), BYD (1211.HK), Nio (NIO), XPeng (XPEV), General Motors (GM), and Volkswagen (VWAGY). The regulation follows a period of financial trouble for some brands, with Neta's sales significantly declining in 2023 and its owner, Zhejiang Hozon New Energy Automobile, entering bankruptcy proceedings last month.
Finally, Iran's financial infrastructure experienced a significant disruption as point-of-sale (POS) terminals across the country went offline for several hours. This widespread outage lasted considerably longer than the 35-minute "glitch" initially claimed by Iran's Central Bank, raising concerns about the stability and resilience of the nation's digital payment systems and broader economic functionality.
Ed Liston is a senior contributing editor at TheStockMarketWatch.com. An active market watcher and investor, Ed guides an independent team of experienced analysts and writes for multiple stock trader publications.