Day 33 of Iran War: US, Israel Intensify Strikes on Iran Amid Diplomatic Deadlock

US and Israeli airstrikes have continued across Iran, targeting industrial and civilian infrastructure, including steel plants and pharmaceutical factories, according to Iranian state media and officials.

US President Donald Trump, who is scheduled to deliver a White House address this evening, said the war could be wrapped up within two to three weeks even without a formal agreement. He warned he might reconsider America’s commitments to NATO if European allies do not play a larger role in countering Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz...

Day 32 of Iran War: US–Israel Strikes Continue Across Iran, Trump Issues New Threats

US and Israeli forces carried out fresh air strikes across Iran on Tuesday as the war entered its 32nd day.

US President Donald Trump warned that Washington might strike Iran’s key energy infrastructure, including its main oil export hub at Kharg Island, oil wells, and power plants, if no deal is reached and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed.

Following Trump's comments, Iran set ablaze a Kuwait‑flagged crude oil tanker off Dubai. The fire was extinguished with no reported oil spill or crew injuries...

Day 31 of Iran War: US-Israeli Strikes Hit Tehran, Target Power Infrastructure; Oil Rises

Overnight US-Israeli strikes hit Tehran and other cities, with power infrastructure in the Iranian capital among the targets. The attacks triggered a blackout in Tehran, which Iranian authorities said has since been restored.

Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said the United States was sending mixed signals, raising the prospect of negotiations while preparing for a possible ground invasion.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said regional talks on Sunday explored ways to bring a swift end to the war, including the possibility of...

Day 28 of Iran War: Trump Delays Attacks on Iranian Energy Infrastructure

US President Donald Trump has delayed planned strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure by 10 days until April 6, saying talks with Tehran are “going very well,” despite Iranian officials rejecting the US proposal as unfair.

US and Israeli forces continued strikes on Iranian cities, while Iran fired retaliatory missiles and drones at Israel and Gulf states.

Pakistan said it was relaying messages between Washington and Tehran, with Türkiye and Egypt also supporting mediation efforts as diplomatic activity intensifies to prevent a broader regional conflict.

Officials said mediators were...

Day 26 of Iran War: Oil Eases on Ceasefire Hopes as Diplomatic Signals Remain Mixed

The war involving the United States and Israel against Iran has entered its 26th day, marked by continued military escalation alongside increasingly frequent and conflicting diplomatic signals.

Airstrikes and missile exchanges persist across Iran, Israel, and parts of the Gulf, even as talk of negotiations grows. US officials have signaled readiness to escalate military operations while also leaving the door open to diplomacy. Reports of a potential framework to end the war remain unverified, though multiple outlets indicate that a 15-point proposal has been...

Day 25 of Iran War: Trump Claims Iran Talks; Tehran Denies as Attacks Escalate

The US–Israeli war on Iran entered its 25th day on Tuesday amid conflicting signals on diplomacy.

US President Donald Trump said Washington is in talks with Tehran and hinted at a broader deal, but Iranian officials denied this, accusing the US of stalling while reinforcing its military presence.

Trump delayed planned strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure by five days. Meanwhile, fighting continues to escalate. Iran launched new missile attacks on Israel, Gulf states intercepted drones and missiles, and clashes intensified in Lebanon and Iraq.

Iran...

Day 24 of Iran War: Trump Delays Iran Power Plant Strikes for Five Days; Oil Plummets

The US–Israeli war on Iran reached its 24th day on Monday, contributing to a turbulent start to the week for global markets.

President Donald Trump announced a five-day delay in planned US strikes on Iranian power plants to allow time for ongoing negotiations, which he described as "very good and productive". 

However, Iran denied any direct talks and argued that Trump pulled back after facing threats of retaliation. Oil prices swung sharply, climbing earlier in the day before dropping following Trump’s announcement...

Day 20 of Iran War: Energy Markets Surge Following Gulf Facility Attacks

The US–Israeli war against Iran has escalated across multiple fronts, involving targeted killings of senior Iranian officials and retaliatory strikes on critical energy infrastructure.

Israel attacked the South Pars gas field on Wednesday and carried out assaults in northern Iran for the first time since the war began in late February.

In response, Iran launched missiles at oil and gas facilities in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, striking Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City, the world’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) hub...

CattleFax Outlook Signals Cattle Cycle Turning as Strong Demand Meets Tight Supplies in 2026

The popular CattleFax Outlook Seminar, held as part of CattleCon 2026 in Nashville, Tennessee, shared expert market and weather analysis today.

“The U.S. cattle and beef industry enters 2026 with strong but volatile market conditions, as historically tight cattle supplies, record-setting beef demand, and elevated policy and weather uncertainty continue to support prices, even as markets appear to near cyclical highs. Tight inventories and exceptional demand remain the dominant forces shaping the market; however, producer demographics, high input costs, and policy uncertainty point to a...

Top 10 Headlines on Expana in 2025—and What Could Shape the Next Year in Food and Ag

2025 was a big year for news in the food and agriculture industry. Headlines ranging from livestock diseases and sweeping policy changes to rising geopolitical tensions, shifting tariffs, weather events, and evolving consumer trends influenced commercial strategies, supply chains, and global market dynamics... 

China's Meat Output Rises Nearly 4% Through Third Quarter 2025 as Imports Fall

China’s meat sector rose 3.8% through the first three quarters of 2025, driven by strong domestic poultry output, while import volumes slumped, according to recently released data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). 

The broader economic picture shows that the world’s second-largest economy grew 4.8% during Q3, its slowest pace in a year, as weak domestic demand left China increasingly dependent on strong export activity. 

Although the growth rate keeps China on track for its roughly 5% annual target, economists question whether the momentum is sustainable, given the country's reliance on external demand amid trade tensions with the United States...

Trade, Debt and Demographics Shape Next Era of Agricultural Policy – Agri-Food Americas 2025

Dr. David Kohl, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Agriculture and Applied Economics at Virginia Tech, offered a broad forecast for the agricultural and food sectors, describing a “bifurcated” global economy and outlining megatrends expected to shape farming, trade, and policy through 2035. The remarks were delivered at Expana’s Agri-Food Americas 2025 conference in Chicago today.   

Dr. Kohl framed the global economy as divided, with the US performing relatively well, while much of the rest of the world grapples with slower activity.

Is a Recession on the Horizon? - Agri-Food Americas 2025 

Since commodities follow the macroeconomy, analyzing the broader economy, especially the Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) – a timelier index than GDP, can help gauge the path ahead for commodity prices, Tom Bundgaard, Vice President, Forecasting , Expana, said at Agri-Food Americas in Chicago today.  

There is not only a correlation between PMI and commodity prices but there is also a lead lag between the two. The highs and lows in PMI come with a bit of a lead lag before we see similar peaks for commodity categories.  

New Resource from National Restaurant Association Provides Insights into Operational Realities

Dampened customer traffic and stubbornly elevated costs combined to keep pressure on the bottom line, resulting in modest profit margins – even by restaurant standards – according to the National Restaurant Association. Released today, the Restaurant Operations Data Abstract provides restaurant operators, investors, and industry leaders with a detailed financial snapshot of the fullservice and limited-service sectors.

Based on financial and operational data from more than 900 restaurants nationwide, the report includes a wide range of insights across key cost centers. These include food and...