The United States and Iran resumed talks late on August 3. However, once the outcome of the US congressional elections is known, tensions could intensify again, triggering another exchange of strikes. The Ukrainian armed forces have increased attacks on civilian infrastructure following a leadership reshuffle, a Russian Foreign Ministry official told Izvestia. Still, it is unlikely to fully replace the Sea of Azov and Black Sea routes with alternative options, experts said. In contrast, Pavel Popov, head of timber and construction materials market analytics at the St. Petersburg Exchange, said that despite China’s lower imports, Russian timber exports still surpassed $2.1 billion in the first half of the year.