JAKEJake The Dog Price

On August 15, the conflict between the U.S. and Iran continues to escalate, with oil transportation through the Hormuz Strait still at a standstill. Iran stated that it will not restore navigation in the Strait unless the U.S. accepts the 'reality of failure' and stops its pressure. U.S. President Trump claimed that the public needs to accept higher gasoline prices as the cost of curbing Iran's nuclear program. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Gharib Abadi stated that the opening and closing of the Hormuz Strait will be determined by Iran. He mentioned that as long as the U.S. 'does not accept failure and continues to fantasize,' Iran will continue to impose restrictions on Strait shipping. According to Reuters, before the conflict, the Hormuz Strait accounted for about one-fifth of the world's oil supply, but the volume of tankers has significantly decreased. Data from ship tracking agency Kpler shows that only two vessels passed through the Strait on Friday, with no records of crude oil transportation, far below the pre-conflict level of over 130 vessels per day. Trump stated at a political rally in New York that the rise in U.S. gasoline prices is the price to pay to prevent 'evil nations' from acquiring nuclear weapons. He said American consumers need to accept 'slightly higher' gas prices. Data from the American Automobile Association (AAA) indicates that the average gasoline price in the U.S. has risen to about $4.08 per gallon, a 29% increase year-on-year. International oil prices have also been affected, with Brent crude futures rising about 6% this week and WTI crude futures increasing about 5.4%. Meanwhile, Iran's economy is also under pressure. Iranian President Raisi stated that U.S. port blockades and sanctions on Iranian oil exports have exacerbated domestic inflationary pressures. Currently, there has been no resumption of peace negotiations between the U.S. and Iran. U.S. Treasury Secretary Mnuchin announced that more economic measures against Iran will be revealed next week. At the same time, Iranian-backed Houthi forces have launched a new round of attacks in Yemen, raising concerns about further escalation of regional conflicts.

On August 15, according to the Russian Satellite News Agency, the U.S. Court of Appeals recently ruled that a lower court must rehear the case regarding the inclusion of Chinese drone manufacturer DJI on the Pentagon's 'Chinese Military Industrial Enterprises' blacklist, stating that the previous ruling was based on non-confidential information and contained flaws. The report indicated that the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals pointed out that the lower court's conclusion that DJI 'contributes to China's defense industrial base' was erroneous, as it relied solely on publicly available information. The court has mandated that during the rehearing, the lower court may review classified documents and decide whether to uphold the Department of Defense's designation based on that information.

On August 15, news emerged from a market survey conducted by investment bank Lazard, indicating that investors in the secondary market for private equity fund shares are changing their approach to evaluating potential software investment targets. While awaiting further clarity on the disruptive effects of AI on business models and valuations, they are often 'shifting funds to other investment opportunities.' The investment bank reported that the vast majority of respondents (91%) believe that the main competitive moat for software companies to address the AI threat and prevent their products from becoming obsolete is 'the proprietary data advantages and network effects that are difficult for AI to replicate.' Lazard noted that as of June this year, only 4% of respondents indicated that their investment approach in the software industry had not changed.