Jieyang Maritime Safety Administration, via the China Maritime Safety Administration website, issued a navigation warning: Aug 19–21, daily 06:30–18:30, parts of the South China Sea will conduct live-fire exercises; vessels are prohibited from entering the affected waters.

Moderna (MRNA.O) continued to surge, rising more than 150% intraday.

In an interview broadcast Aug. 18, Iran's foreign minister Araghchi said recent military clashes involving Iran, the U.S. and Israel demonstrate that reliance on external forces and bases cannot guarantee Gulf states' security. He said the presence of U.S. troops and bases not only fails to provide security but is a destabilising factor, and that countries without U.S. bases are safer. Araghchi added Iran is not seeking only a ceasefire but a complete end to the war, and does not want a cycle of short truces followed by renewed fighting.