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Washington Scales Back Regional Footprint Amid Iranian Warnings

Empty airspace over Iran, during a temporary closure of the country's airspace amid concerns about possible military action between the United States and Iran The United States has begun precautionary drawdowns at several military bases across the Middle East after Iranian officials warned neighbouring countries that American facilities could be targeted in the event of a wider conflict. The adjustments focus on relocating non‑essential personnel and reducing exposure as regional tensions continue to rise. Iran’s message to nearby states underscored its concern that any U.S. military action could spill over into the broader region. By cautioning its neighbours, Tehran signaled both its desire to deter potential strikes and its readiness to respond if provoked. U.S. officials described the moves as prudent rather than predictive, emphasizing that the drawdowns do not indicate an imminent operation. Instead, they reflect a shifting security environment in which Washington is recal...
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Wall Street Rallies Despite Fed's Tapering Plans

 


Stocks rose on Friday, extending their gains for the week, as investors shrugged off the hawkish tone of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's testimony to Congress. Powell signaled that the Fed is ready to start tapering its bond purchases as soon as November, and that interest rate hikes could follow sooner than expected. However, he also acknowledged that the economic recovery is still facing headwinds from the delta variant of the coronavirus and supply chain disruptions.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 0.7%, or 238 points, to close at 35,677. The S&P 500 gained 0.8%, or 34 points, to end at 4,544. The Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.9%, or 139 points, to finish at 15,212. All three major indexes posted weekly gains of more than 1%.

The dollar weakened against a basket of major currencies, as traders reduced their bets on a faster pace of monetary tightening. The dollar index fell 0.3% to 93.38. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note edged lower to 1.45%, after hitting a three-month high of 1.54% on Thursday.

Wall Street analysts said that Powell's comments were largely priced in by the market, and that investors are focusing on the strong earnings outlook and the prospects of more fiscal stimulus from Washington. They also noted that the Fed's tapering plans are contingent on the economic data, which could change depending on the evolution of the pandemic and inflation.

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