{"id":71192,"date":"2026-08-31T14:38:17","date_gmt":"2026-08-31T18:38:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/ftc-sues-amazon-over-ad-price-manipulation-trump-weighs-iran-strikes\/71192\/"},"modified":"2026-08-31T14:38:17","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T18:38:17","slug":"ftc-sues-amazon-over-ad-price-manipulation-trump-weighs-iran-strikes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/ftc-sues-amazon-over-ad-price-manipulation-trump-weighs-iran-strikes\/71192\/","title":{"rendered":"FTC Sues Amazon Over Ad Price Manipulation; Trump Weighs Iran Strikes"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_86 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/ftc-sues-amazon-over-ad-price-manipulation-trump-weighs-iran-strikes\/71192\/#Key_Takeaways\" >Key Takeaways<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/ftc-sues-amazon-over-ad-price-manipulation-trump-weighs-iran-strikes\/71192\/#FTC_Targets_Amazons_Advertising_%22Monopoly%22\" >FTC Targets Amazon\u2019s Advertising &quot;Monopoly&quot;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/ftc-sues-amazon-over-ad-price-manipulation-trump-weighs-iran-strikes\/71192\/#Trump_Weighs_Military_Action_in_Strait_of_Hormuz\" >Trump Weighs Military Action in Strait of Hormuz<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/ftc-sues-amazon-over-ad-price-manipulation-trump-weighs-iran-strikes\/71192\/#G20_Officials_Meet_Amid_Economic_Turbulence\" >G20 Officials Meet Amid Economic Turbulence<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/ftc-sues-amazon-over-ad-price-manipulation-trump-weighs-iran-strikes\/71192\/#Netanyahu_Deflects_Blame_for_October_7\" >Netanyahu Deflects Blame for October 7<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/ftc-sues-amazon-over-ad-price-manipulation-trump-weighs-iran-strikes\/71192\/#Iran_Seeks_Support_at_Shanghai_Summit\" >Iran Seeks Support at Shanghai Summit<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Key_Takeaways\"><\/span>Key Takeaways<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and over 20 states are filing a major lawsuit against Amazon (<a href=\"\/stock\/AMZN\">AMZN<\/a>)<\/strong>, alleging the company manipulated advertising prices to reap tens of billions in illegal profits.<\/li>\n<li><strong>President Donald Trump is considering &quot;limited, recurring strikes&quot; against Iranian military installations<\/strong> to prevent Tehran from rebuilding its capabilities in the Strait of Hormuz.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Global <a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/energy\/crude-oil\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"12\" title=\"Crude oil\">oil prices<\/a> are facing upward pressure<\/strong> as G20 finance officials meet in North Carolina amid the escalating U.S.-Iran conflict and disruptions to maritime trade.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly blamed security chiefs<\/strong> for the October 7 failures, claiming he was not awakened despite &quot;many indicative signs&quot; of an impending attack.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Iran&#39;s Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi used the Shanghai Summit<\/strong> to rally Eurasian allies against &quot;U.S. aggression,&quot; while emphasizing that Iran will continue to stand up for its rights.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FTC_Targets_Amazons_Advertising_%22Monopoly%22\"><\/span>FTC Targets Amazon\u2019s Advertising &quot;Monopoly&quot;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The <strong>Federal Trade Commission (FTC)<\/strong>, joined by a bipartisan group of more than 20 state attorneys general, is expected to file a complaint against <strong>Amazon (<a href=\"\/stock\/AMZN\">AMZN<\/a>)<\/strong> on Monday. The lawsuit alleges that the e-commerce giant <strong>deceived advertisers<\/strong> by covertly boosting the minimum amount they had to pay to post advertisements on its retail platform.<\/p>\n<p>Agency officials claim <strong>Amazon (<a href=\"\/stock\/AMZN\">AMZN<\/a>)<\/strong> profited by <strong>tens of billions of dollars<\/strong> over a seven-year period through these manipulative pricing tactics. This marks the third major case brought by the consumer protection agency against the company, following a <strong>$2.5 billion settlement<\/strong> last year regarding Prime enrollment practices and an ongoing illegal-monopolization action scheduled for trial next year.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Trump_Weighs_Military_Action_in_Strait_of_Hormuz\"><\/span>Trump Weighs Military Action in Strait of Hormuz<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>President <strong>Donald Trump<\/strong> is reportedly weighing a strategy of <strong>limited strikes against Iran<\/strong> to curb its ability to launch attacks in the <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong>. According to reports from <em>Axios<\/em>, the U.S. military aims to prevent Iran from reconstituting its radar and missile capabilities, which have been used to threaten international shipping.<\/p>\n<p>The proposed plan, developed by <strong>U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM)<\/strong>, involves &quot;mowing the lawn&quot;\u2014a series of recurring strikes intended to systematically degrade Iranian defensive and offensive infrastructure. This comes as <strong>U.S. forces<\/strong> recently struck Iranian targets on <strong>Larak Island<\/strong> to prevent the deployment of sea mines, marking a significant escalation in the regional conflict.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"G20_Officials_Meet_Amid_Economic_Turbulence\"><\/span>G20 Officials Meet Amid Economic Turbulence<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Finance ministers and central bank governors from the <strong>G20<\/strong> are gathering in Asheville, North Carolina, as the <strong>Iran war<\/strong> drives global oil prices higher and stokes inflation risks. <strong>Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent<\/strong> is expected to press allies for increased economic pressure on Tehran, including new secondary sanctions on banks facilitating Iranian transactions.<\/p>\n<p>The summit is clouded by the closure of the <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong>, which has sapped growth from nearly all G20 economies and driven up borrowing costs. While the U.S. seeks a unified front, some European members have expressed concern over the aggressive tariff policies and the potential for a broader regional war.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Netanyahu_Deflects_Blame_for_October_7\"><\/span>Netanyahu Deflects Blame for October 7<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In a series of detailed remarks, Israeli Prime Minister <strong>Benjamin Netanyahu<\/strong> has shifted the blame for the <strong>October 7<\/strong> security failure onto his military and intelligence chiefs. Netanyahu claimed that <strong>Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi<\/strong>, <strong>Shin Bet Chief Ronen Bar<\/strong>, and <strong>Military Intelligence Head Aharon Haliva<\/strong> all had indicative signs of an attack but failed to wake him.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;If they had woken me up, everything would have looked different,&quot; Netanyahu stated, asserting that he would have activated the <strong>Air Force<\/strong> and mobilized the entire <strong>IDF<\/strong>. The comments have sparked fresh controversy in Israel as the government faces a 24-hour deadline to address memorials and ongoing calls for a state commission of inquiry.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Iran_Seeks_Support_at_Shanghai_Summit\"><\/span>Iran Seeks Support at Shanghai Summit<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>On the sidelines of the <strong>Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)<\/strong> summit in Kyrgyzstan, Iranian Foreign Minister <strong>Seyyed Abbas Araghchi<\/strong> held &quot;completely functional&quot; talks with counterparts from Russia, China, and India. Araghchi emphasized that the &quot;Iranian nation will continue to stand up for its rights&quot; in the face of what he termed <strong>U.S. aggression<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>The SCO summit, which includes <strong>Vladimir Putin<\/strong> and <strong>Xi Jinping<\/strong>, has become a platform for Iran to promote a &quot;multipolar world&quot; and seek economic cooperation away from Western formalities. Despite the rhetoric, Iranian President <strong>Masoud Pezeshkian<\/strong> noted that continuing the war is not in Tehran&#39;s interest, even as the country maintains its stance on regional sovereignty.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and over 20 states are filing a major lawsuit against Amazon (AMZN), alleging 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