The US and Iran concluded a new round of indirect negotiations, with the US urging Iran to abandon its plan to impose passage fees in the Strait of Hormuz.
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A summary of the latest situation in the Middle East: Trump approves plan to strike Iran; Iran believes the US will cause peace talks to fail.
BlockBeats reports the following is a summary of the latest situation in the Middle East on July 8th: Conflict Situation: Trump approved the strike plan against Iran. US officials stated that the strike against Iran was a "punitive action, not a reciprocal response," and that the operation "will not end anytime soon." A US official stated that the strike launched by the US against Iran on Tuesday was four to five times larger and more powerful than the strike launched 10 days earlier. The US revoked a general license authorizing the sale of Iranian oil, allowing related final transactions to continue until midnight Eastern Time on July 17th. This move is reportedly in response to Iran's recent firing on three merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian Foreign Ministry stated that some merchant ships were sailing without coordination and had turned off or tampered with AIS signals, hindering safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. It urged regional countries and shipping companies to avoid any actions that violate the memorandum. The U.S. Central Command stated that its forces have initiated a series of powerful strikes against Iran in response to Iranian targeting and attacks on commercial shipping operated by civilian crews in international waterways. Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned the U.S. Treasury Department's revocation of the temporary suspension of sanctions on Iranian oil sales. U.S.-Iran Negotiations: Iranian Foreign Minister Araqchi stated that if the threats persist, negotiations for a final agreement will not begin; please honor your commitments. Iran's Supreme Leader's advisor, Rezaei, stated that it is clear the U.S. will cause the negotiations to fail. Lebanese diplomatic sources indicated that Lebanon refused to hold the sixth round of Lebanon-Israel talks in Rome, insisting that negotiations should continue in Washington. Strait of Hormuz: A liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier was attacked in the Gulf of Oman. Multiple explosions occurred in the southern Iranian port city of Sirik. Explosions were heard on Qeshm Island and Bandar Abbas in southern Iran. British Maritime Authority: The threat level in the Strait of Hormuz has been raised to "serious".
The US military claims to have completed a new round of strikes against Iran.
According to a recent statement and video released by the U.S. Odaily Command, the U.S. military launched a new round of offensive strikes against Iran, using precision-guided munitions to hit more than 80 targets, in a "direct response to Iran's recent attacks on merchant ships sailing in the Strait of Hormuz." The statement said that the US military's targets included Iranian air defense systems, command and control networks, coastal radar sites, and anti-ship missile capabilities; in addition, more than 60 small vessels of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were destroyed in the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters. This comes after Iran previously attacked three merchant ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz: the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker "Al-Recayat," the Saudi Arabian-flagged oil tanker "Vedian," and the Liberian-flagged oil tanker "Cyprus Prosperity." US Central Command forces remain on high alert, and "the US will hold Iran accountable should it fail to comply with or violate the agreement." (Jin Shi)
Trump approved the strike plan against Iran.
According to BlockBeats, on July 8, market sources reported that Trump approved the plan to strike Iran.
Iranian Foreign Minister: If threats persist, final agreement negotiations will not begin.
According to Mars Finance, on July 7, Iranian Foreign Minister Araqchi stated that if the threats continue, negotiations for a final agreement will not begin, and urged Iran to honor its commitments.
Micron accelerates global capacity expansion: $9.3 billion Hiroshima plant in Japan breaks ground, AI memory production capacity sprints towards 2028.
According to BlockBeats, on July 5th, Micron Technology is aggressively expanding its global production capacity to address severe shortages of AI-driven HBM, DRAM, and NAND memory. The company anticipates the supply shortage will continue beyond 2026, with new capacity gradually released from 2027 onwards, representing a massive overall investment. Key aspects include: Significant Investment in the US: * The Manassas, Virginia plant achieved 1α nm process mass production in May 2026. A $2 billion expansion project will quadruple DDR4 wafer supply, primarily supplying the automotive, defense, and industrial sectors, and is supported by chip industry subsidies. * A $50 billion investment in a cutting-edge factory in Boise, Idaho, has broken ground, with the first plant expected to begin production in mid-2027. The company has recently further expanded its US investment to approximately $200 billion (manufacturing + R&D), including the addition of a second fab. * New York State's Clay megafab project, worth hundreds of billions of dollars, continues to advance, planning multiple wafer fabs with a target of mass production around 2030. Simultaneous Expansion in Asia * Hiroshima, Japan, held a groundbreaking ceremony in early July for a 1.5 trillion yen (approximately US$9.3 billion) expansion project, focusing on high-end HBM and other AI chips, with shipments expected around 2028. The Japanese government is providing substantial subsidies. * Singapore: Construction began on a US$24 billion NAND advanced wafer fab in January, with production scheduled for the second half of 2028. * Taiwan: Acquired Powerchip Technology's Tongluo wafer fab for US$1.8 billion, with DRAM production expected to begin in 2027. Micron emphasized that the expansion is primarily to meet long-term demand and localize the supply chain, not to significantly increase consumer-grade supply in the short term. Analysts believe that the overall DRAM/NAND shortage is unlikely to change in the short term, and prices will remain supported. This round of global expansion is expected to significantly increase Micron's capacity and create tens of thousands of jobs. The company aims to produce approximately 40% of its DRAM in the United States by around 2030. Further updates will be provided as AI demand evolves.
Iran plans to charge a service fee for navigation through the Strait of Hormuz in accordance with international standards.
According to BlockBeats, on July 5th, Iranian Ambassador to China Abdulreza Rahmani Fazli stated in a media interview during the 14th World Peace Forum in Beijing on July 4th that Iran plans to charge a service fee for navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, in accordance with international standards. Fazli stated that before the outbreak of the Iran-Israel war, navigation through the Strait of Hormuz was unimpeded. Currently, Iran has not announced any fees or tariffs, but plans to charge a service fee according to international standards to cover routine expenses such as ensuring navigational safety, navigation, and environmental protection—a practice consistent with other waterways worldwide. Regarding the current situation of the Strait of Hormuz, Fazli said that navigation through the strait is gradually returning to normal, and order is being restored in the passage jointly managed by Iran and Oman.