Sources said the U.S. held a pre-arranged meeting with an Iranian delegation led by Iranian foreign minister Araghchi, attended by the Qatari prime minister. They discussed restarting negotiations and reopening the Strait of Hormuz but reached no agreement on disputed issues.

Fitch's BMI says South Korea's downstream oil and gas sector could remain stable in 2026 despite pressure from elevated freight costs and geopolitical risk. Seoul is shifting to a broader energy-security strategy to reduce reliance on Middle East crude, targeting the Middle East's share of crude imports to fall from 69.1% in 2024 to 60% or below. BMI adds recent import data show more flexible sourcing: January–May Middle East share was 62.8%, while in May the Americas, including the US, accounted for 26.6% of crude imports.

The Federal Reserve accepted $453 mln from eight counterparties in fixed-rate reverse repurchase operations.