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Mojtaba Khamenei: The Rise of Iran’s New Supreme Leader

                      A picture of Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is displayed on a screen in Tehran Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, has emerged as Iran’s new supreme leader following the assassination of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in joint U.S.–Israeli strikes. His appointment by the Assembly of Experts comes at a moment of profound crisis for Iran, as the country faces regional war, internal instability, and intense international scrutiny.  A Secretive Heir With Deep Establishment Ties Mojtaba, long considered influential behind the scenes, is a mid-ranking cleric with strong connections to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). His political rise signals continuity of Iran’s hardline establishment, despite the country’s ideological discomfort with hereditary succession.  A Leader Shaped by Conflict and Loss His ascension comes amid the “Ramadan War,” during which he was reportedly wound...

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U.S. Futures Steady as Investors Await Economic Data and Powell’s Speech

 

U.S. stock index futures remained largely unchanged on Thursday morning as investors awaited key economic data and a speech by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. The producer price index (PPI) for October and weekly jobless claims data are expected to be released at 8:30 a.m. ET, which could provide insights into corporate pricing power and the broader economic outlook.

Market participants are also keenly anticipating Powell’s comments later in the day, hoping for clues on future monetary policy. Traders are currently pricing in a high probability of a 25-basis point interest rate cut at the Fed’s December meeting, following recent consumer price index data that aligned with forecasts.

In premarket trading, Dow E-minis were up 0.19%, S&P 500 E-minis rose 0.09%, and Nasdaq 100 E-minis edged up 0.04%. Shares of cryptocurrency-focused companies saw gains, with Coinbase Global up 3.8% and bitcoin buyer MicroStrategy rising 3.4%.

Investors will be closely monitoring Powell’s speech for any indications of how the Fed plans to navigate the current economic landscape, especially in light of inflationary pressures and potential policy shifts under the incoming administration.


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