On September 9, 2026, an Iranian medium-sized oil tanker waits off the coast of Bandar Abbas in the Strait of Hormuz in Hormozgan province, Iran.
Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images
Hello, my name is Anique Bao from Singapore. Welcome to another edition of CNBC’s Daily Open.
War with Iran is coming to the UK’s doorstep this weekend.
The Pentagon has withdrawn all US bombers from Fairford Air Force Base in southern England following a suspected terrorist plot, as more tankers are attacked in waters near Iran. In Yemen, the government has launched an offensive to retake territory controlled by the Houthis, and OPEC+ has left its November production target unchanged.
Elsewhere, Brazil’s election looks set to go to a runoff, and US President Donald Trump has named a new AI czar.
What you need to know today
The Pentagon announced that all U.S. B-1 bombers assigned to RAF Fairford have been redeployed to U.S. home bases after an investigation revealed that a terrorist attack had been planned.
Since the beginning of the Strait of Hormuz conflict, dozens of B-52 and B-1 bombers have been deployed from air bases, primarily used to attack Iran.
More ships were damaged in waters near Iran and Oman, despite the Iranian government’s reiteration of conditions for reopening major waterways.
The strait, which transports about a fifth of the world’s crude oil and LNG, has been effectively closed since the war began in late February. Iran’s demands include lifting sanctions and lifting the U.S. naval blockade.
“Until Iran’s seven conditions under the Islamabad Memorandum are met, the Strait of Hormuz will not open and Iran will not restrict its national security, per a tweet from a US official,” Iranian state media Nur News quoted Parliament Speaker Mohammad Berger Ghalibaf as saying on Sunday.
Yemen’s Saudi-backed government announced Sunday it would launch a nationwide offensive to retake all areas controlled by the Iranian-backed Houthis.
Yemeni President Rashad al-Alimi said in a televised address that government forces would continue the offensive “until the country is freed from the control of terrorist militias.”
OPEC+ members, including Saudi Arabia and Russia, agreed at a meeting on Sunday to keep the November integration target unchanged, in line with expectations that further production adjustments may not occur until next year.
International benchmark Brent crude oil futures rose slightly to $102.33 per barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude oil fell 0.3% to $90.85 per barrel.
U.S. stock futures were flat on Sunday night as investors weighed a weak labor market and rising U.S. Treasury yields. Futures tracking the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 53 points, or 0.1%, while S&P 500 futures rose 0.1%. Nasdaq 100 futures rose 0.2%.
This week, investors will focus on the minutes of the Federal Reserve’s September meeting on Wednesday and the University of Michigan’s October Consumer Confidence report on Friday.
President Trump names new AI czar
Amid growing security concerns, President Donald Trump has appointed Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton as his administration’s new AI czar, putting the country’s top intelligence official in charge of AI policy.
Clayton will lead a new White House task force called the “Superintelligence Unit” that will study and report on the risks and opportunities of AI over the next 120 days. This group is tasked with making recommendations about federal government responsibilities regarding new technologies.
Brazil election runoff
Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro took an unexpected lead over left-leaning President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, leading the country into a sharp shift to the right. Bolsonaro held a narrow lead in the first round of Brazil’s presidential election on Sunday. According to the survey, Mr. Lula and Mr. Flavio are polling almost evenly in the October 25 run-off.
Bolsonaro’s victory would extend a wave of victories by right-wing candidates aligned with the Trump administration across Latin America, but Lula’s reelection could cause headaches for Washington, which has clashed with Bolsonaro’s government over trade and security.
Meanwhile, in Asia, McKinsey’s top executives characterized the region’s owner-CEOs, drawing on the firm’s research that helps shed light on the key factors that determine successful leadership.
McKinsey’s findings demonstrate the ability to deal with conflicting ideas, such as thinking both long-term and short-term, keeping an eye on the big picture while also looking at things through a microscope.
— Anique Bao
