※[Global Morning Briefing] summarizes global news delivered by Seoul Economic Daily.
The Middle East faced another major crisis as the lull in the U.S.-Iran war, which had held for nearly two months since the April ceasefire, was shattered. After Iran launched a surprise ballistic missile strike on Israeli territory, Israel immediately retaliated. Although Iran declared a halt to its operations through the mediation of U.S. President Donald Trump, the embers of tension still remain.
On Monday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fired about 30 missiles at Israel's Ramat David, Tel Nof and Nevatim air bases. Iran said the attack was retaliation for Israeli strikes on Hezbollah strongholds. The following day, Israeli forces struck military targets in western and central Iran, with explosions heard in major cities including the capital Tehran, as well as Tabriz, Isfahan and Karaj. The Karun petrochemical plant in Iran's southwestern Khuzestan province was also reported to have been hit.
Iran immediately launched a counter-retaliation, and this time Yemen's Houthi rebels joined in by firing ballistic missiles. It was the first time the Houthis had attacked Israeli territory since the ceasefire. Yahya Saree, spokesman for Yemen's armed forces, threatened to completely ban Israeli ships from navigating the Red Sea, and attacks on U.S. military bases in the Middle East also resumed. Esmail Baghaei, spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry, blamed President Trump for the resumption of attacks, saying the United States was cooperating closely with Israel on both defensive and offensive fronts.
As the situation rapidly deteriorated, President Trump personally stepped in to mediate. According to Axios, Trump called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and asked him to refrain from retaliation, saying "an agreement is getting close." Netanyahu reportedly pushed back but effectively accepted the request. Trump also urged Iran, saying "enough is enough, return to the negotiating table." In response, Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters declared a halt to operations, but also issued a warning that it would "take far stronger and overwhelming measures if the enemies' aggression, including in southern Lebanon, continues."
Reversing the situation appears difficult. Iran notified that it would reopen the Strait of Hormuz as of Sunday but would impose transit fees set by Iran and Oman. This effectively rejected the free passage that the Trump administration had strongly demanded as a condition for negotiations. While Trump urged a halt to fighting, he maintained his position that the naval blockade against Iran would remain in place until a final agreement.
China Approves World's First Commercial Brain Implant Device, One Step Ahead of Musk
China has obtained the world's first commercialization approval for a brain-computer interface (BCI) device, moving one step ahead of Elon Musk's Neuralink. Observers say China's presence is growing in the field of brain science, following artificial intelligence (AI), humanoid robots and quantum computers.
China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) recently approved a BCI device called "NEO," jointly developed by startup NeuraCle Technology and researchers at Tsinghua University, as a product for patients paralyzed by spinal cord injuries. It is the first time anywhere in the world that an invasive BCI device has received commercial approval from a national regulator.
NEO consists of a coin-sized central device and eight neural signal sensors attached on top of the dura mater, the outer membrane surrounding the brain. The sensors collect neural signals, which are transmitted to a computer through the skull-mounted device. The computer then interprets them to control the movement of a robotic glove worn by the patient. Because it does not directly touch brain tissue, the relatively low risk of bleeding or tissue damage is cited as a factor that accelerated the approval.
By contrast, Neuralink's N1 chip inserts electrodes directly into the cerebral cortex. This offers high precision but carries a correspondingly greater risk of invasion. Neuralink has been conducting clinical trials since 2024 but has yet to receive approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Experts assess that NEO's strategy of focusing on rapid distribution through lower risk, rather than accuracy, proved effective.
The Chinese government's full support also boosted the pace. China designated BCI as a national strategic industry, alongside quantum technology and humanoid robots, in its 15th Five-Year Plan that takes effect this year, and quickly built a distribution base by incorporating it into the national health insurance system immediately after approval.
There are clear limitations, however. NEO's current application is limited to spinal cord injury patients aged 18 to 60 who retain some arm function, giving it a narrower range of applications than Neuralink. Market research firm Future Market Insights forecasts that the global BCI market, currently around $490 million, will grow to $1.7 billion by 2035. David Tuffley, a professor at Griffith University in Australia, warned that cybersecurity concerns — that hackers could access sensitive neural data — should not be overlooked as U.S.-China competition accelerates.
Marvell, Praised by Jensen Huang, Joins S&P 500
Custom chip design firm Marvell Technology and electronics contract manufacturer Flex will join the U.S. S&P 500 index on the 22nd. Driven by a surge in AI demand from data centers, shares of Marvell and Flex have soared threefold and 2.4-fold, respectively, this year, pushing out existing companies. The inclusion is expected to bring up to $35 billion in passive funds into Marvell. In particular, after Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang praised Marvell's networking chip technology, its market capitalization soared to about $230 billion.
