Update: US Equity Futures Higher Pre-Bell Amid Inflation Data, Middle East Tensions

(Updates with economic data, recent oil price movement, world markets' overview and corporate stock movements.) US equity futures were edging slightly higher pre-bell Wednesday as traders considered the latest inflation data amid the continuing tensions in the Middle East. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were 0.1% higher, S&P 500 futures were up 0.2%, and Nasdaq futures were 0.5% higher. The US seasonally adjusted consumer price index, a measure of inflation, fell by 0.4% in June, compared with expectations for a 0.1% decrease in a survey compiled and following a 0.5% increase in May, government data showed. In a post on X, US Central Command said it started another wave of attacks against Iran at 6 am ET, aiming to "further degrade military capabilities Iranian forces have used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz." President Donald Trump reiterated in a post on Truth Social that the US was reinstating a "full" blockade, "but only on Ships coming to and from Iranian ports, or carrying anything have to do with Iranian cargo." Trump also backtracked from a threat to impose a 20% levy on cargo shipped through the Strait of Hormuz, saying.