Fox News reported on the 29th that White House press secretary Leavitt said presidential envoy Witkoff and President Trump’s son‑in‑law Jared Kushner will fly to Doha, Qatar, this week to attend high‑level US‑Iran talks.

On the afternoon of the 29th local time, Iran’s military ordered that all vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz may only use the corridor south of Larak Island. On the 28th Iran said ships must still coordinate passage with the IRGC and advised that the safest route for vessels entering the Persian Gulf is south of Hormuz Island, while vessels leaving the Gulf should use the corridor south of Larak Island.

Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), parent of the New York Stock Exchange, plans futures contracts linked to global central-bank rate decisions and U.S. natural gas storage, targeting an Aug. 10 launch subject to regulatory approval. Contracts would reference rate decisions by the Federal Reserve, European Central Bank and Bank of England, and weekly U.S. gas storage data from the EIA, enabling trading or hedging around major policy meetings and weekly energy inventory releases.