CIA Director John Ratcliffe briefed President Donald Trump that recent intelligence suggests Iran’s private intentions may not match the commitments it has publicly signaled under an emerging memorandum of understanding, according to Axios. The MoU signed on Sunday extends the ceasefire and sets a 60-day negotiation window covering Iran’s nuclear programme, sanctions relief and regional security. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth raised doubts, while advisers Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff backed the diplomatic track. Vice President JD Vance said the agreement could be formally signed in person on Friday, and Trump rejected reports the US would pay Iran USD 300 million.

XTB International Limited has launched a dedicated short-term trading service tailored to silver and day-trading strategies, citing heightened volatility and structural supply constraints through 2026. Data show a sixth straight annual supply deficit in 2026, with a reported shortfall of 46.3 million ounces and industrial demand accounting for more than half of total consumption. Silver rose 147% in 2025 and briefly hit a record intraday high of $121.60 per ounce in January 2026 before shifting into sharp, unpredictable swings, with frequent 3–5% single-day moves. The company said the offering focuses on session-level analytics, fast execution and risk controls aimed at limiting overnight exposure.

On June 16, 2026, Brent crude futures rose 0.3% to $83.42 a barrel and WTI gained 0.3% to $81.12 as traders weighed uncertainty around a preliminary U.S.-Iran conflict deal and the outlook for shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. Oil prices had fallen nearly 5% a day earlier, and the move higher marked a rebound from the lowest close since March. In India, retail fuel prices have paused for now, but the dynamic pricing system remains closely linked to international crude, keeping the risk of further revisions in focus.

The UK has charged Ajay Pant, an Indian national who captained the Russian shadow-fleet tanker MV Smyrtos, with breaching British sanctions on Russian oil. The vessel was intercepted in the English Channel and is being held off the coast of Weymouth, while 24 crew members remain onboard and are assisting investigators. The boarding marked the first time UK armed forces have carried out such an operation, signalling a tougher enforcement stance on sanctions evasion.

ARK Invest built a new SpaceX (SPCX) position on Friday after the company's Nasdaq debut, purchasing nearly 3.3 million shares across three ETFs. The allocation included 1,690,839 shares in ARKK, 736,442 in ARKQ, and 538,341 in ARKX, where SPCX ended the day as 6.89% of the fund. ARK ties its thesis to Starship, Starlink, and xAI, while noting SpaceX held 18,712 BTC as of March 31 with a fair value of about $1.29 billion.

Apollo Hospitals Enterprise said it will demerge its digital health and pharmacy operations into a new entity, Apollo Healthtech, with a separate listing targeted by December 2026. The company plans to appoint Shobana Kamineni as executive chairperson of Apollo Healthtech, subject to shareholder approval and the demerger taking effect. Apollo Hospitals said Apollo Healthtech is expected to generate annualised revenue of around Rs 25,000 crore by the time of listing.

On June 16, Brent crude rose 0.3% to $83.42 a barrel and WTI gained 0.3% to $81.12, extending a rebound after a nearly 5% drop the previous session. The selloff followed U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that the U.S. and Iran had agreed a memorandum of understanding to end the “U.S.-Israeli war with Iran,” fueling expectations that supply could return. The conflict had shut the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting about 14 million barrels per day of production, but details of the agreement have not been made public and a permanent truce has yet to be negotiated. Analysts warned that damage to infrastructure could mean supply recovery takes months, while Saudi Aramco has said market stability could be delayed until 2027.

Australia’s Karoon Energy said it has lowered its 2026 production forecast, citing delays to a project in the United States. The revision affects the pace of resource monetization. It also weighs on the company’s medium-term revenue expectations. The company characterized the change as a material downgrade to issuer guidance rather than a routine update.