Iran Says It's Close to Resolving Gas Export Issues With Iraq
'We will soon witness the resolution of both issues,' the state-run IRIB News cited Paknejad as saying after meeting with Iraq's Electricity Minister Ziad Ali Fadhil in Tehran.
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Bloomberg
44 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
What Is the World Going to Do About Iran's Uranium?
The US spent billions of dollars accounting for gram levels of uranium around the world since the end of the Cold War. It paid for UN monitoring and security summits while directly repatriating some 7,000 kilograms of the radioactive material from 47 countries to minimize the possibility that it could ever be used in a weapon. But on June 13, those decades of international effort were rolled back overnight. Even as Israeli attacks dealt grave damage to Iran's capacity to make new nuclear fuel, it eliminated monitoring of the Islamic Republic's vast inventory of enriched uranium. Iran's 409 kg of highly-enriched uranium could be stored in 16 transport cylinders At last count, Iran possessed 409 kg of near-bomb-grade material, along with 8,000 kg of uranium enriched to lower levels. The whereabouts of that stockpile hasn't been verified since the attacks began. Iran had warned it would take the material to a secure location if attacked. With the UN nuclear watchdog prohibited from inspecting for the first time since Iran began making fuel in the early 2000s, there's now the possibility that Tehran has taken its stockpile to a clandestine facility. By failing to account for or destroy the nuclear-fuel inventory, Israel and the US have provided Iran with 'strategic ambiguity' it didn't have before the war began — a bargaining chip in any potential negotiations over what happens next. The dilemma is how to respond. Here's a set of scenarios and options the US and the International Atomic Energy Agency could take in their approach to handling the situation. Click on the options below to see how events might unfold. Cold War Legacy The concept of strategic ambiguity was developed during the Cold War, most notably by Nobel Laureate economist Thomas Schelling, to manage uncertainty at the onset of the nuclear age. Effectively a measure of risk or threat, it allowed some level of guess work over capacity and intentions that was meant to prevent a slide toward all-out war. Israel, for example, uses it to manage perception of its own nuclear stockpile, neither denying nor confirming its existence. While intelligence agencies may be able to reduce ambiguity by using spies and analyzing satellite imagery, eliminating it altogether requires diplomacy or force. That's because nuclear material needs some level of physical verification to ensure it hasn't been diverted for military use. Less than 25 kg of highly enriched uranium is needed to construct a bomb. At last count, Iran possesses uranium enriched to various levels, which taken together is enough feedstock for two dozen weapons. Iran's Main Nuclear Fuel Making Sites After Israeli and US bombed three sites in June, governments are attempting to detect Iranian efforts to reconstitute activities The amount of ambiguity the US and Israel can tolerate is set to play a decisive role in their actions through the end of the year. How much of Iran's nuclear inventory are they willing to leave to chance? That's the question facing decision makers. Given the Trump administration insists it has obliterated Iran's nuclear program, the US and Israel may choose no further action. In such a scenario, actors would have to be highly tolerant of ambiguity, not least because the cache of uranium last seen in Iran's possession will be weapons-usable for thousands of years. Another possibility is that the US and Israel have low tolerance for ambiguity, and that they are willing to go all in on compelling Iran to verify the state and location of its uranium. In the absence of an Iranian capitulation, they will need to enforce compliance, potentially with boots on the ground for verification. Even with the most powerful weapons at their disposal, air strikes alone cannot eliminate ambiguity over Iran's fuel inventory status. Mutually acceptable, or negotiated ambiguity, is another potential outcome. A combination of remote-sensing, statistical methods and physical on-the-ground verification is used to account for material. That's what UN nuclear inspectors were doing before the attack, publishing the results every three months. Methodology This simulation applies game theory to test potential pathways. Key decision points correspond to real-world events including IAEA and UN General Assembly meetings in September, as well as the deadline to reimpose Security Council sanctions before they expire on Oct. 18. It also weighs the length of time required by diplomats and legislators to implement certain decisions. The first set of scenarios involves resolving 'ambiguity' over the location of Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium: • In our 'high ambiguity' scenario, sides take a low cost wait-and-see approach that doesn't include physical verification of the uranium inventory. • In our 'mutually acceptable ambiguity' scenario, sides opt for negotiations. They include physical verification of Iran's uranium inventory at the cost of allowing some enrichment. • In our 'zero ambiguity' scenario, the option is for escalation through military confrontation to force Iran to allow physical verification of its uranium inventory. We also look at potential outcomes and costs of the strategies used by Iran and the US. Scenarios were repeated in mixed-strategy simulations to test how the dynamics between Iran and the US may evolve. Key assumptions include: • Iran is 100% committed to retaining at least some enrichment capacity because not doing so would in practice result in additional capitulation. • The US needs to be at least 50% committed to enforcing a zero-enrichment strategy to involve troops on the ground. • The scenarios are constructed around the decision points in September and October and take into account the approximate diplomatic timelines required to convene meetings, draft resolutions and vote on the decisions.
Bloomberg
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Indonesian Growth Unexpectedly Accelerates Ahead of Tariffs
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Yahoo
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- Yahoo
Undiscovered Gems in Middle East Stocks for August 2025
As the Middle East markets navigate a landscape shaped by potential U.S. Federal Reserve rate cuts and fluctuating oil prices, Gulf equities have shown resilience with most shares gaining in anticipation of easing monetary policies. This environment creates a fertile ground for identifying promising stocks, where factors such as strong financial fundamentals and strategic market positioning can make certain companies stand out as undiscovered gems amidst broader economic shifts. Top 10 Undiscovered Gems With Strong Fundamentals In The Middle East Name Debt To Equity Revenue Growth Earnings Growth Health Rating Baazeem Trading 8.48% -2.02% -2.70% ★★★★★★ MOBI Industry 6.50% 5.60% 24.00% ★★★★★★ Sure Global Tech NA 11.95% 18.65% ★★★★★★ Nofoth Food Products NA 15.75% 27.63% ★★★★★★ Etihad Atheeb Telecommunication 1.05% 36.24% 62.23% ★★★★★★ Najran Cement 14.20% -2.87% -22.60% ★★★★★★ National General Insurance (P.J.S.C.) NA 14.55% 29.05% ★★★★★☆ National Corporation for Tourism and Hotels 18.21% 4.16% 13.75% ★★★★★☆ National Environmental Recycling 69.43% 43.47% 32.77% ★★★★☆☆ Saudi Chemical Holding 79.49% 16.57% 44.01% ★★★★☆☆ Click here to see the full list of 224 stocks from our Middle Eastern Undiscovered Gems With Strong Fundamentals screener. Here's a peek at a few of the choices from the screener. Besler Gida Ve Kimya Sanayi ve Ticaret Anonim Sirketi Simply Wall St Value Rating: ★★★★★★ Overview: Besler Gida Ve Kimya Sanayi ve Ticaret Anonim Sirketi operates in the production and trade of frozen and canned products in Turkey, with a market capitalization of TRY10.79 billion. Operations: Besler generates revenue primarily from edible oil and frozen food, with sales of TRY14.99 billion and TRY9.02 billion, respectively. The company's focus on these segments contributes significantly to its overall financial performance. Besler Gida, a promising player in the food sector, has demonstrated significant growth with earnings surging by 20.7% over the past year, outpacing the industry average of -10.1%. The company's debt to equity ratio impressively decreased from 118% to 40.1% over five years, indicating prudent financial management. Sporting a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.8x, Besler is attractively valued compared to the TR market's 20.8x average. With high-quality earnings and satisfactory net debt levels at 24.8%, Besler seems well-positioned within its industry despite broader challenges faced by peers like Kerevitas Gida Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S., which reported reduced sales and income recently. Take a closer look at Besler Gida Ve Kimya Sanayi ve Ticaret Anonim Sirketi's potential here in our health report. Gain insights into Besler Gida Ve Kimya Sanayi ve Ticaret Anonim Sirketi's historical performance by reviewing our past performance report. Al-Babtain Power and Telecommunications Simply Wall St Value Rating: ★★★★★☆ Overview: Al-Babtain Power and Telecommunications Company, along with its subsidiaries, manufactures lighting poles and power transmission towers and accessories in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, with a market capitalization of SAR3.60 billion. Operations: The primary revenue streams for Al-Babtain Power and Telecommunications include the Towers and Metal Structures Sector generating SAR1.18 billion, followed by the Solar Energy Sector at SAR592.76 million. The Columns and Lighting segment contributes SAR571.13 million, while Design, Supply, and Installation adds SAR404.90 million to the total revenue. Al-Babtain Power and Telecommunications shines with earnings growth of 29.3% over the past year, outpacing the Construction industry's 13.8%. Despite a high net debt to equity ratio of 72.2%, interest payments are comfortably covered by EBIT at 4.9x, indicating manageable financial obligations. The company has demonstrated resilience with net income rising to SAR 88.2 million from SAR 82.6 million last year, reflecting strong operational performance despite a dip in sales from SAR 699.55 million to SAR 631.23 million this quarter. Trading at a price-to-earnings ratio of just 13.2x against the SA market's average of 20.2x suggests attractive valuation relative to peers. Dive into the specifics of Al-Babtain Power and Telecommunications here with our thorough health report. Review our historical performance report to gain insights into Al-Babtain Power and Telecommunications''s past performance. Aryt Industries Simply Wall St Value Rating: ★★★★★☆ Overview: Aryt Industries Ltd. specializes in the development, production, and marketing of electronic thunderbolts for the defense market in Israel, with a market cap of approximately ₪3.41 billion. Operations: Aryt generates revenue primarily from its detonators segment, reporting sales of ₪126.54 million. The company's market capitalization stands at approximately ₪3.41 billion. In the bustling Aerospace & Defense sector, Aryt Industries stands out with a remarkable earnings growth of 458.5% over the past year, far surpassing the industry average of 45.6%. Despite its small size, it trades at an attractive valuation, currently 80.1% below its estimated fair value. The company has managed to keep its debt in check with a debt-to-equity ratio climbing only slightly to 4% over five years and benefits from having more cash than total debt. However, investors should be cautious about its highly volatile share price observed in recent months. Click to explore a detailed breakdown of our findings in Aryt Industries' health report. Assess Aryt Industries' past performance with our detailed historical performance reports. Where To Now? Take a closer look at our Middle Eastern Undiscovered Gems With Strong Fundamentals list of 224 companies by clicking here. Already own these companies? Link your portfolio to Simply Wall St and get alerts on any new warning signs to your stocks. Enhance your investing ability with the Simply Wall St app and enjoy free access to essential market intelligence spanning every continent. Interested In Other Possibilities? Explore high-performing small cap companies that haven't yet garnered significant analyst attention. Fuel your portfolio with companies showing strong growth potential, backed by optimistic outlooks both from analysts and management. Find companies with promising cash flow potential yet trading below their fair value. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Companies discussed in this article include IBSE:BESLR SASE:2320 and TASE:ARYT. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@
