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- Washington reportedly deploys third carrier to Middle East.
- Oil prices rise as Iran escalation risks increase.
- Judge dismisses Trump’s Reflecting Pool case.
- U.S. markets climb as yields ease.
- Nike reports mixed first quarter and layoffs.
U.S. Navy sailors work on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington as it transits the Arabian Sea to support U.S. military operations in the war with Iran Aug. 20, 2026.U.S. Navy | Via Reuters
Hello, this is Hui Jie writing to you from Singapore. Welcome to another edition of CNBC’s Daily Open.
Washington has reportedly deployed a third aircraft carrier to the Middle East, raising prospects that an escalation of tensions in the region could be on the cards. That sent oil surging again as markets factor in continued conflict and disruption to energy supplies.
What you need to know today
Washington has reportedly deployed the USS Theodore Roosevelt to the Middle East, making it the third aircraft carrier to head to the area.
The carrier will join the USS George H.W. Bush and the USS George Washington, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The Journal also added that Marine Corps ships and up to 10,000 additional troops are also being deployed to the region and are expected in November.
That has stoked concerns the Iran conflict could flare up again, sending crude oil prices up sharply Thursday. Brent crude rose 4.4% to close at $102.31 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures climbed 2.7% to settle at $92.87 a barrel.
The U.S. Treasury also continued its efforts to isolate Iran economically, sanctioning the country’s automotive and rail sectors. Measures also included additional sanctions on the A7 Network, described as a “shadow banking network with ties to Russia used by the Iranian regime to evade sanctions.”
Domestic doldrums
While the Trump administration focuses on targets overseas, the U.S. president has some grouses closer to home.
A judge on Thursday dismissed the criminal case accusing former U.S. Olympic canoeist David Hearn of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and permanently barred prosecutors from refiling the same charges.
Trump has repeatedly insisted that the damage to the Reflecting Pool resulted from intentional vandalism, claiming that vandals cut a gash hundreds of feet long in the pool’s protective lining.
Over on the financial front, U.S. markets climbed despite the rise in oil prices, with the S&P500 adding 0.19% and both the Dow and Nasdaq eking out marginal gains.
The rise was was aided by Treasury yields retreating from multiyear highs, with Jeff Kilburg, CEO of KKM Financial, telling CNBC that “there’s some fatigue in the bond market.”
In Asia, South Korea’s Kospi as well as Japan’s Nikkei 225 lost ground.
Corporate developments
Nike on Thursday posted a mixed fiscal first quarter and announced a restructuring plan that will lead to layoffs starting next year.
The retailer said brand revenues took a hit largely due to sustained declines in its China business. Revenue in the market dropped 26%.
CEO Elliott Hill said on a call with analysts that the company is “moving with urgency” to improve its business in the region.
While Nike did not detail how many jobs will be cut, this will be the third round of layoffs it has announced this year.
— Lim Hui Jie
And finally…
Google unveils latest AI model, but Wall Street wants a breakout personal agent
Google may be back at the frontier of artificial intelligence, but investors and consumers are increasingly focusing on what people can build with the technology as personal agents surge in popularity.
The company unveiled its long-awaited Gemini 4 Argon model on Wednesday, promising major advances in coding, cybersecurity, and complex tasks.
According to industry benchmarks, Argon ties OpenAI on a key cybersecurity test and posts leading results in software engineering.
— MacKenzie Sigalos
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