Your morning briefing. All the news you need to start your day.

On today's podcast:

(1) A Qatari complex housing the world’s largest liquefied natural gas export plant suffered “extensive damage” amid a sharp escalation of attacks on energy facilities across the Persian Gulf.

(2) President Donald Trump pressed for a de-escalation of attacks on Middle East energy assets after Iranian and Israeli strikes on major gas hubs jolted global markets.

(3) Spy chief Tulsi Gabbard dodged questions about the severity of the threat posed by Iran in Senate testimony on Wednesday, with the long-time skeptic of foreign interventions careful not to contradict either her own past beliefs or the Trump administration’s stance on the conflict.

(4) Federal Reserve officials left interest rates unchanged and continued to expect one rate cut this year as they acknowledged increased uncertainty due to war in the Middle East.

(5) The Bank of Japan kept its policy rate unchanged as uncertainty surrounding the Middle East conflict clouds the economic outlook, while also pledging to raise borrowing costs if its price forecast materializes. 

(6) The Bank of England may respond more aggressively than expected to soaring energy prices since war broke out in the Middle East because its internal models assume a large and long-lasting impact on inflation.

(7) HSBC is weighing deep job cuts over the coming years as Chief Executive Officer Georges Elhedery bets on AI to shrink its middle and back offices, one of the first signs of how the technology could reshape Wall Street workforces.

Podcast Conversation: Iran’s Hormuz Blockade Leaves Stranded Crews Braving Missiles and Signal Jamming