U.S. Defense Secretary Hegseth denied CNN's claim that U.S. forces expended nearly 80% of THAAD interceptors during the Iran conflict.

A media report said the U.S. is drafting a ban on imports of new Chinese data‑center components to protect AI infrastructure. Industry sources say a strict ban on Chinese optical modules is unlikely: seven of the world’s top 10 optical‑module vendors are Chinese and Chinese firms account for roughly 70% of 800G and 1.6T high‑speed module shipments, while U.S. suppliers lack comparable capacity and technology. Major U.S. cloud providers are accelerating AI infrastructure builds, and inability to source Chinese modules would slow deployments. Market participants note similar reports have circulated previously and say that even if the measure were enacted, impacts have historically been manageable.

A spokesperson for the BHP port joint union said strike action will continue, as notified, on Aug 8 and Aug 9.