Trump tends to expand military operations against Iran, Bitcoin remains range-bound, and the three major U.S. stock indexes closed higher.

U.S. officials say days after holding brief meetings with several senior aides, U.S. President Donald Trump is leaning toward expanding U.S. military operations against Iran. Potential options include intensifying airstrikes, deploying ground forces to seize Iranian islands near the Strait of Hormuz, and bombing a fortified site possibly used for secret nuclear activities. On July 15, the U.S. military carried out a maritime blockade against Iran in the Arabian Gulf, stopping an oil tanker that was attempting to sail to an Iranian port and was not carrying cargo. An Iranian military spokesperson stated that the only way to reopen the waterway is for the U.S. to abide by the memorandum of understanding and enforce "Iranian regulations" in the Strait of Hormuz. According to BIT (bit.com) market data, U.S. stocks closed on Wednesday with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising 0.29%, the S&P 500 up 0.38%, and the Nasdaq gaining 0.6%. Apple (AAPL.O) rose 4%, ASML (ASML.O) climbed 2%, SK Hynix (SKHY.O) fell 9%, SanDisk (SNDK.O) dropped 8%, and Intel (INTC.O) decreased 4.4%. According to HTX market data, Bitcoin is currently trading at $64,847, down 0.08% in the past 24 hours. Over the past 24 hours, global crypto liquidations totaled $303 million, including $112 million in long positions and $191 million in short positions.