Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani told IRNA that attacks on refineries, fuel depots, pipelines and gas facilities are intended not merely to destroy assets but to disrupt daily life—creating fuel queues, spreading anxiety and undermining social stability—and that energy security is a cornerstone of national security and national resilience.

China's foreign ministry said the Philippines' establishment of a so-called territorial sea baseline at Huangyan Island (Scarborough Shoal), on Chinese territory, is illegal and invalid, and breaches the UN Charter and UNCLOS. Beijing said it firmly opposes and will not accept the move, accused the Philippines of repeated provocations in the Shoal that have raised maritime tensions and undermined South China Sea stability, and warned Manila to respect China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights or face resolute countermeasures.

Since June, measures to attract overseas capital have brought in more than $40bn, bolstering the Reserve Bank of India’s foreign-exchange buffer, the RBI said. As of July 31, FCNR(B) deposits totalled $36.72bn; together with other overseas borrowings the sum is about $41bn. The RBI conducted roughly $7bn of FX sales on July 24 to defend the rupee, its largest direct intervention in months. Middle East tensions had pushed oil above $100/bbl and pressured the rupee; oil has since eased to around $90/bbl. The RBI governor said this week that recent rupee weakness reflects geopolitical tensions, dollar strength and EM volatility, not a deterioration in India’s economic fundamentals.