The July 14, 2026, "Horizons Middle East & Africa" broadcast on Bloomberg Television reported on the latest developments regarding geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. The primary focus was on the renewed military strikes between the US and Iran. The US launched new attacks targeting Iranian positions, while Iran responded with drone strikes, including one that hit an offshore oil rig in Kuwait. Washington stated these operations aimed to degrade Iran's capacity to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed to have struck a US drone operations center at Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain.
This renewed conflict has significantly impacted energy markets, leaving them on edge due to ongoing uncertainty over the Strait of Hormuz. Beyond the Middle East, the program covered Apple's lawsuit against OpenAI for alleged trade secret theft, Nippon Paint's $8.6 billion bid for Akzo Nobel's paint business, and SoftBank's consideration of a stake in Seven & i Holdings. Other notable news included the death of former Qatari ruler Sheikh Hamad, and questions arose about US Senate succession following Senator Lindsey Graham's political future.
In Asian markets, South Korea's KOSPI index experienced a brief trading halt after falling 8%, with SK Hynix leading the decline. Regionally, venture capital funding across the Middle East and North Africa decreased by 22% year-over-year during the first half of 2026. The UAE’s oil production reached a record high in June. Additionally, Senegal's infrastructure plans faced setbacks due to a growing debt scandal.
Guest speakers on the show included John Sfakianakis from the Gulf Research Center, Praten Jagwani of UTI International, Philip Bahoshy from Magnitt, and Chey Tae-won, Chairman of SK Group. The program highlighted various chapters, detailing in-depth analyses of topics such as the US-Iran strikes, energy markets, and discussions with the featured guests.
