Al Jazeera cited a U.S. official saying Iran launched retaliatory strikes Wednesday night, including reports of strikes on a U.S. base in Kuwait, but the official said US bases in the area "were not attacked".

U.S. stocks opened higher and extended gains: Nasdaq Composite up 1.0%, Dow Jones Industrial Average up nearly 1.0%, S&P 500 up 0.73%.

RatingDog China services PMI rose to 51.4 in August, up 1.0 ppt from July and the 44th consecutive month above the 50 expansion threshold. Demand improved: new business grew for the 44th month and accelerated versus July. New export orders remained in expansion for a fourth month but slowed from June’s year‑to‑date high. Firms’ 12‑month activity expectations recovered from July’s recent low. Input-cost pressures ticked up from July’s six‑month low but stayed moderate; selling prices were raised for a third consecutive month. Employment continued to expand, with the employment index rising for a fourth month — the longest consecutive growth streak since 2023. Overall, services activity and new orders accelerated and business confidence improved modestly.