MIDDLE EAST ECONOMY

Oil exports from Egypt's Mediterranean port of Sidi Kerir have more than doubled in August, reaching about 2.3 million barrels per day compared with roughly 1 million bpd in July.

Saudi Aramco reported a 33% jump in second-quarter profit as higher oil prices driven by the Iran conflict boosted revenue, with the company highlighting the role of its East-West pipeline in keeping exports flowing despite disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian citizens' day-to-day has been impacted further after the Trump administration widened its list of military targets beyond conventional defense sites to include infrastructure considered vital to the country's economy.

Mohammed al-Farah, a member of the political bureau of the Houthi movement, said Yemen's armed forces were prepared to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait if Saudi Arabia continued military operations against Yemen.