Investing.com — British stocks extended losses on Thursday, dragged down by a sharp sell-off in mining stocks as Iran and the US traded competing claims over control of the Strait of Hormuz, while UK growth data took a back seat to the geopolitical standoff.
The fell 0.6%, extending its earlier dip. Germany’s declined 0.2%, and France’s dropped 0.3%. Sterling pared its earlier losses, with GBP/USD at 1.3488, down just 0.05%.
Miners were the day’s biggest fallers, tracking weaker metals prices. led losers, down 5.2%, followed by , , and .
The moves tracked declines in , , and , alongside gold falling 0.57% to $4,441.80/oz and down 0.52% at $4,385.99.
Energy majors also weighed, with off 2% and down 1.3%, as slid 1.8% to $87.38 and dropped 2.1% to $81.50.
Basij paramilitary commander Hossein Taeb said the waterway remains under Iran’s “management and control,” a day after U.S. President Donald Trump said the US had “total control” and would keep it, dismissing Iran’s navy and air force.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused Washington of acting on “fake intelligence” over the strait.
U.S. Central Command said on Wednesday that U.S. forces have redirected 59 commercial vessels, disabled three and boarded two as of August 12 to enforce a naval blockade against Iran, part of what CENTCOM described as America’s “steel wall blockade” in the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. President Donald Trump said earlier the same day that the U.S. had “total control” of the Strait of Hormuz and would keep it, calling the U.S. naval blockade a “wall of steel” and saying Iran had no navy, air force or effective military leadership.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi separately accused France and other Western nations of hypocrisy on human rights, while a New York Times report, detailing events from last month’s NATO summit in Ankara, said Iran had precise knowledge of Trump’s location and that U.S. officials detected a surface-to-air missile threat against his aircraft, prompting a decoy operation.
UK round up
Antofagasta reported a 27% rise in first-half core earnings as higher copper prices offset weaker production, but lowered its 2026 output forecast after a mine shutdown.
beat first-half core profit expectations as World Cup engagement and cost cuts offset higher UK gambling taxes.