Weekend Briefing — July 26, 2026 | A Pause After Thirteen Nights, and a Week That Could Break Either Way

After thirteen consecutive nights of US strikes on Iran, operations moved onto what officials describe as a hold this weekend, with talks between American and Iranian negotiators resuming at multiple levels and Iran holding direct discussions with Oman over the Strait of Hormuz. We cover why that fragile calm sits alongside genuinely hard-line rhetoric from Tehran, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's pivotal visit to Washington this week, and Thursday's split votes in Congress over two competing war powers resolutions, including a sober look at the conflict's mounting toll on US service members. We also cover oil's pullback from a two-month high above $102 a barrel after Houthi attacks on Saudi tankers widened the threat to Red Sea shipping, and preview a heavy week ahead for markets: Wednesday's Fed decision, Thursday's Bank of England meeting, and a second wave of Big Tech earnings from Apple, Microsoft, and Meta following a lukewarm reception to last week's reports from Alphabet, Tesla, and Intel. We close with where bitcoin stands heading into the week. This episode is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, legal, or tax advice.