Germany's foreign minister called on the United States and Iran to halt further escalation.

Iranian navy Admiral Siaari said Trump had threatened to seize Kharg Island, deploy forces along the Strait of Hormuz and send destroyers into the strait, but none of those moves materialized.

The Hong Kong government said LegCo passed the 2026 Stamp Duty (Amendment)(No.2) Bill on July 8, requiring stamp duty on dual‑counter securities’ RMB‑counter trades to be calculated and paid in RMB. The government said the measure will let investors settle trades and pay stamp duty in RMB simultaneously, and is expected to boost turnover and liquidity on the RMB counter and strengthen the RMB’s role as an international investment currency. The amended ordinance will be gazetted on July 17.