{"id":63992,"date":"2026-06-30T08:38:16","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T12:38:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/german-inflation-slows-unexpectedly-as-us-iran-tensions-ease-housing-bill-stalls-in-washington\/63992\/"},"modified":"2026-06-30T08:38:16","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T12:38:16","slug":"german-inflation-slows-unexpectedly-as-us-iran-tensions-ease-housing-bill-stalls-in-washington","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/german-inflation-slows-unexpectedly-as-us-iran-tensions-ease-housing-bill-stalls-in-washington\/63992\/","title":{"rendered":"German Inflation Slows Unexpectedly as US-Iran Tensions Ease; Housing Bill Stalls in Washington"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>German annual inflation fell to 2.3% in June<\/strong>, significantly lower than the <strong>2.6%<\/strong> expected by markets, marking its lowest level since February.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The U.S. Treasury issued a 60-day general license<\/strong> authorizing the sale of Iranian oil and petrochemicals through <strong>August 21, 2026<\/strong>, as part of a broader diplomatic de-escalation.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Iran and Oman have launched high-level talks<\/strong> to establish a joint management mechanism for the <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong>, aiming to normalize maritime traffic.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Speaker Mike Johnson is pressuring President Trump<\/strong> to sign a bipartisan housing affordability bill, which Trump is currently leveraging against his <strong>SAVE America Act<\/strong> election push.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Representative Tom Kean Jr. (<a href=\"\/stock\/NJ-07\">NJ-07<\/a>) returned to Capitol Hill<\/strong> today after a <strong>117-day absence<\/strong> due to an undisclosed medical condition, restoring a critical vote for the narrow GOP majority.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>German Inflation Cools as Energy Pressures Relent<\/h2>\n<p>Preliminary data from <strong>Destatis<\/strong> shows Germany\u2019s consumer price index (CPI) decreased by <strong>0.3%<\/strong> month-over-month in June, defying expectations of a flat reading. The annual rate of <strong>2.3%<\/strong> represents a sharp drop from May\u2019s <strong>2.6%<\/strong>, primarily driven by a slowdown in energy price growth, which rose just <strong>3.4%<\/strong> compared to <strong>6.6%<\/strong> the previous month.<\/p>\n<p>Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy costs, remained steady at <strong>2.5%<\/strong>. While services inflation remains elevated at <strong>3.1%<\/strong>, the overall cooling in Europe\u2019s largest economy provides the <strong>European Central Bank<\/strong> with more breathing room as it evaluates future interest rate cuts.<\/p>\n<h2>Iran Oil Sales Facilitated Amid Regional Diplomacy<\/h2>\n<p>Tehran announced today that its oil and petrochemical sales have been &quot;greatly facilitated&quot; following the <strong>U.S. Treasury Department&#39;s<\/strong> issuance of <strong>General License X<\/strong>. This 60-day waiver allows for the production and delivery of Iranian-origin crude through <strong>August 21<\/strong>, a move linked to ongoing negotiations regarding nuclear inspections and regional security.<\/p>\n<p>In a parallel development, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman <strong>Esmaeil Baghaei<\/strong> confirmed that talks with <strong>Oman<\/strong> are progressing to manage the <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong>. The two nations are forming a joint committee to oversee navigation services and security, with Baghaei asserting that the littoral states will handle the waterway&#39;s responsibility without &quot;intervention from other parties.&quot;<\/p>\n<h2>Washington Gridlock Over Housing and Election Bills<\/h2>\n<p>In the U.S., <strong>Speaker Mike Johnson<\/strong> is navigating a complex standoff with <strong>President Trump<\/strong> over a bipartisan housing bill designed to lower costs ahead of the midterms. Trump has labeled the bill a &quot;yawn&quot; and is reportedly holding up his signature to force progress on the <strong>SAVE America Act<\/strong>, which focuses on voter ID and proof-of-citizenship requirements.<\/p>\n<p>The legislative logjam comes as <strong>Representative Tom Kean Jr.<\/strong> (<a href=\"\/stock\/NJ-07\">NJ-07<\/a>) returns to work for the first time in nearly four months. Kean, who missed over <strong>140 votes<\/strong> during his absence, is expected to deliver a floor speech today to address the &quot;personal medical issue&quot; that kept him from Washington since early March.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways German annual inflation fell to 2.3% in June, significantly lower than the 2.6% expected by markets, marking its 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