{"id":62326,"date":"2026-05-25T07:38:22","date_gmt":"2026-05-25T11:38:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/market-update-iran-seeks-12b-in-frozen-funds-kghm-copper-sales-rise-bhp-backtracks-on-esg\/62326\/"},"modified":"2026-05-25T07:38:22","modified_gmt":"2026-05-25T11:38:22","slug":"market-update-iran-seeks-12b-in-frozen-funds-kghm-copper-sales-rise-bhp-backtracks-on-esg","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/market-update-iran-seeks-12b-in-frozen-funds-kghm-copper-sales-rise-bhp-backtracks-on-esg\/62326\/","title":{"rendered":"Market Update: Iran Seeks $12B in Frozen Funds; KGHM Copper Sales Rise; BHP Backtracks on ESG"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>BHP (<a href=\"\/stock\/BHP\">BHP<\/a>) has reportedly scrapped a multi-billion dollar emissions-reduction plant<\/strong> in the Pilbara, potentially delaying its major decarbonization goals until the 2030s.<\/li>\n<li><strong>KGHM Polska Mied\u017a (<a href=\"\/stock\/KGHM\">KGHM<\/a>) reported a 3.7% year-over-year increase in copper sales<\/strong> for April 2026, totaling <strong>56,100 tonnes<\/strong>, as shares rose <strong>3.4%<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Iran is demanding the immediate release of $12 billion in frozen assets<\/strong> held in Qatar as a precondition for advancing diplomatic negotiations with the United States.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Geopolitical tensions remain high<\/strong> as Iran&#39;s Central Bank chief travels to Doha following a high-level Qatari delegation visit to Tehran regarding the disputed funds.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>BHP Group (<a href=\"\/stock\/BHP\">BHP<\/a>)<\/strong> has quietly abandoned plans for a major beneficiation plant at its <strong>Jimblebar<\/strong> mine in Western Australia&#39;s Pilbara region. According to leaked internal documents reported by <em>The Guardian<\/em>, the facility was designed to produce higher-quality iron ore, which would have slashed customer <strong>Scope 3 emissions by 1.7 million tonnes annually<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>The mining giant also halted a <strong>50 MW solar and 20 MW battery project<\/strong> in the region, citing &quot;cash prioritization requirements.&quot; <em>Analysts suggest this shift indicates a significant cooling of the company&#39;s aggressive ESG commitments<\/em>, with no major renewable energy expansions now expected until at least <strong>2031<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>In the commodities sector, Polish mining leader <strong>KGHM Polska Mied\u017a (<a href=\"\/stock\/KGHM\">KGHM<\/a>)<\/strong> saw its April copper sales climb to <strong>56,100 tonnes<\/strong>. This <strong>3.7% increase<\/strong> over the previous year helped drive the company&#39;s stock price up <strong>3.4% to 341.75 zloty<\/strong>. <em>The performance highlights KGHM&#39;s resilience amidst a volatile global market for industrial metals.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>On the geopolitical front, the <strong>Governor of the Central Bank of Iran<\/strong> arrived in Qatar on Monday to finalize the release of <strong>$12 billion in frozen funds<\/strong>. The visit follows a weekend of intense diplomacy, including a Qatari delegation&#39;s visit to Tehran. Iran has signaled that the release of these assets is the <strong>&quot;only immediate obstacle&quot;<\/strong> to a potential Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S.<\/p>\n<p><em>Market participants are closely watching these developments<\/em>, as the unfreezing of Iranian liquidity could impact regional stability and energy markets. Meanwhile, the pullback in green investment by <strong>BHP (<a href=\"\/stock\/BHP\">BHP<\/a>)<\/strong> may signal a broader trend of industrial firms re-evaluating the costs of rapid decarbonization in a high-interest-rate environment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways BHP (BHP) has reportedly scrapped a multi-billion dollar emissions-reduction plant in the Pilbara, potentially delaying its major decarbonization 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