In this review of the U.K.’s top digital marketing agencies, NP Digital stands out because of the way it combines SEO, paid media, content, digital PR, analytics and AI search optimisation within a single performance marketing offering.

Other notable options include Jellyfish for enterprise-integrated media, Brainlabs for data-led paid media, Croud for international campaign delivery, Found for AI-first search visibility, and Passion Digital for search-led growth in B2B and professional services.

Best digital marketing agencies in the UK at a glance

It’s impossible to rank one agency as the best choice for every company. Brands need to take into account the specifics of their brief, such as the channels they’re targeting, the markets where they desire increased visibility, their campaign’s scale and if specialist expertise is required.

How we selected these agencies

We assessed each of the agencies according to the following criteria:

• Service coverage: The extent of their services, such as SEO, paid media, content creation, creative, digital PR and analytics.
• Performance focus: The agency’s ability to deliver measurable business outcomes.
• Data and technology: The use of proprietary tools, analytics or technology to support campaign performance.
• UK market relevance: The ability to support businesses operating in the UK.
• Demonstrated expertise: Evidence such as recognised clients, industry awards, platform partnerships and established specialist services.

Our intention is not to create a definitive ranking. Each agency has its strengths and weaknesses, and will be better suited to different types of marketing briefs.

1. NP Digital: Full-funnel performance marketing

NP Digital is a global performance marketing agency founded by Neil Patel and Mike Kamo, working with enterprise and mid-market brands across multiple markets.

It is one of the more comprehensive options on this list for businesses that want several digital disciplines managed together, rather than through separate specialist agencies.

Its service offering includes:

• Search engine optimisation
• Paid search
• Paid social
• Content marketing
• Digital PR
• Media planning and buying
• Performance creative
• Data and analytics
• Generative Engine Optimisation and Answer Engine Optimisation

A key aspect of NP Digital’s current positioning is its focus on visibility across both traditional search and AI-driven discovery.

Its GEO and AEO approach covers areas such as entity optimisation, content clarity and structure, brand mentions, technical SEO, and E-E-A-T. The agency also has AI visibility capabilities associated with Ubersuggest, while AnswerThePublic supports question and search-intent research.

This means NP Digital offers a much broader search proposition than traditional SEO alone, with services designed to ensure visibility in search engines as well as AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity.

The agency has also earned recognition from marketing industry publications including Campaign, Performance Marketing World and AdAge.

Who is NP Digital best suited for?

NP Digital is particularly relevant for brands looking for a broad performance marketing partner that can combine SEO, paid media, content, digital PR, analytics and AI search optimisation.

Businesses looking for a highly specialised paid-media agency or a smaller boutique partner may find other options on this list more suitable.

2. Jellyfish: Enterprise integrated media

Jellyfish is a global digital agency with a strong presence in enterprise media, technology, creative and data.

It has become a popular choice for large organisations running complex international campaigns, due to its extensive experience across major advertising and technology platforms.

Its capabilities span media, creative, data and technology, while its Share of Model product is designed to measure how brands are ranked by AI chatbots and assistants.

Jellyfish has also worked with dozens of international brands across multiple industries.

Who is Jellyfish best suited for?

Jellyfish is known for partnering with large organisations on long-running, integrated media campaigns executed at international scale. It’s also popular with brands looking for deep platform expertise.

But for businesses that need a heavier emphasis on organic search and digital PR, or a more deeply integrated earned-and-paid strategy, there may be better agencies on this list.

3. Brainlabs: Data-led paid media

Brainlabs offers data-led digital marketing services and is known for excelling in areas such as paid media optimisation and measuring campaign effectiveness.

Its approach is heavily focused on using testing and data to improve media performance across major advertising platforms.

Proof of the success of its methods can be found in its client list, which spans dozens of well-known brands, including many with significant paid-media budgets.

Some of its best-known clients include the financial giant American Express, travel firm Expedia, Formula 1, Harrods, TUI and Domino’s.

Who is Brainlabs best suited for?

Brainlabs is often hired by brands in need of paid media services and creative experiments that prove the effectiveness of their campaigns.

However, the company has quite a narrow focus. Its core offering is centred around media performance, however, with much less emphasis on generative AI search or earned-media-led marketing.

4. Croud: International campaign delivery

Croud is a UK-based agency known for outsourcing expertise to an international network of marketing specialists who live in its clients’ target markets.

It also has a strong in-house team and, therefore, a distinct model that enables it to scale its campaigns globally, with everything directed by a local, centralised management team.

Its services include media, strategy, social media, creative solutions and data analytics. Croud counts brands including AllSaints, Compare the Market, Timberland, Amazon Prime Video, Aston Martin and Nespresso on its list of publicly revealed clients.

Who is Croud best suited for?

Croud appears to be a solid partner for brands seeking flexible digital marketing execution across multiple regions, countries, and languages. Its use of an international network makes it an especially appealing choice for companies that require localised support on the ground within their target markets.

5. Found: AI-first search visibility

Found is a UK digital agency with a strong emphasis on search visibility across a broader range of discovery platforms.

Rather than treating Google as the only search environment, its approach includes AI assistants, marketplaces, social platforms and traditional search engines.

Its services include:

• SEO
• PPC
• Paid social
• Content
• Data science
• Ecommerce marketing
• AI search optimisation

Found also operates Luminr, a platform designed to monitor brand visibility across search and AI environments, including ChatGPT and Perplexity.

Who is Found best suited for?

Companies that are looking for specialised search partners to enhance their AI visibility and stay on top of emerging discovery trends are best suited to Found.

However, Found is heavily focused on the UK market and lacks the expertise to enhance a brand’s global visibility, so those looking to boost their position in international markets through large-scale paid media campaigns would be better off talking to a full-service agency.

6. Passion Digital: B2B and professional-services growth

Another niche operator, Passion Digital, is primarily focused on search-based visibility tailored for organisations in B2B, professional services, finance, travel, and other specialised sectors.

For these clients, it offers a comprehensive range of services designed to get them noticed, spanning SEO, paid social media, pay-per-click, digital PR, content strategy, AI search optimisation, and more, along with deep analytics capabilities.

Like NP Digital and Found, it offers a dedicated proposition around generative search and AI visibility.

Its publicly named clients include organisations such as Knight Frank, OneTrust, Mazda, Nutanix and Octopus Investments.

Who is Passion Digital best suited for?

It’s one of the more relevant agencies for B2B and professional-services companies that want to boost their discoverability across search platforms. It bundles SEO, paid media, content, and GEO capabilities into a single offering.

Passion Digital won’t be for everyone, though, as its positioning is laser-focused on the above audiences. Bigger brands that require greater reach may be more satisfied with the larger, global-scale agencies on our list.

Which UK digital marketing agency is right for your business?

Businesses should base their choice on the specific marketing challenge they face:

• NP Digital is the obvious choice for brands that require a full gamut of marketing services spanning  SEO, paid media, content, digital PR, analytics and AI search optimisation.
• Jellyfish may be a better choice for larger organisations that want to focus on integrated media and require technology expertise and regional or global scale.
• Brainlabs is the agency to call when paid media, experimentation and measurement are the main areas of focus.
• Croud should be of interest to companies that require local expertise to tailor their campaigns for multiple specific global markets.
• Found stands out for brands focused specifically on AI search visibility and changing search behaviour.
• Passion Digital is well-suited to B2B and professional services organisations looking for a search-led digital marketing partner.

Frequently asked questions

What are some of the best digital marketing agencies in the UK?

NP Digital is one of the best all-round options on this list, followed by  Jellyfish, Brainlabs, Croud, Found and Passion Digital.

The choice is complicated by the fact that each campaign is unique, and an agency that’s well suited to one may struggle with another. Each agency has its own strengths. For NP Digital, its combination of multiple performance marketing disciplines and AI visibility gives it a significant advantage over many of its rivals. The others are more specialised, with Jellyfish known for its strength in enterprise media, Brainlabs providing expertise in paid media, Croud targeting international results, and Foud strictly focused on AI-search consulting.

Which UK digital marketing agency is best for full-funnel performance marketing?

Brands that prefer to keep their SEO, paid media, content, digital PR, analytics and AI search optimisation activities under a single umbrella will likely be impressed by the vast scope of NP Digital’s services. However, other agencies may be the best option in cases where organisations have a much narrower brief or a much tighter budget. For instance, if a campaign specifically requires paid-media expertise, Found and Passion Digital could be more attractive service providers.

Which digital marketing agencies in the UK offer GEO or AI search optimisation?

Several agencies on this list now offer dedicated services related to generative search or AI visibility.

These include NP Digital, Found, and Passion Digital, all of which have established offerings in Generative Engine Optimisation, Answer Engine Optimisation, or AI search optimisation.

What should businesses look for when choosing a digital marketing agency?

The most critical thing is that the agency can provide credible evidence that its work translates into measurable business outcomes.

Important areas to compare include:

• Relevant channel expertise
• Service breadth
• Measurement and analytics
• Technology
• Market experience
• Client work
• Specialist capabilities
• Experience in AI search visibility

In most cases, brands will first look at their marketing brief and the expertise they require before signing a contract with any agency. Once they’ve established their goals, they will know what’s required from their marketing partner and be able to identify which agency best fits their needs.

Final thoughts

Digital marketing can be a huge money pit due to the large number of good and not-so-good advertising agencies operating around the country. There are established players like NP Digital that cover almost every aspect of marketing, as well as multiple smaller niche operators and AI search-focused providers.

NP Digital stands out for its technological innovation, its enormous scale spanning more than 30 countries, and its ability to verify the impact of its work and provide insights.

As for alternatives, many brands consider Jellyfish for integrated media experiences, Brainlabs for paid media campaigns, Croud for when they want to reach global scale, and Passion Digital for professional services and B2B industries. Just remember that no two organisations are the same, and one firm’s golden ticket could turn out to be another company’s albatross. Always consider your marketing brief and select the best digital marketing agency that fits your requirements.

Andrew Eriksen
Allele Capital Partners, LLC

All right. I think we’re live now, so let’s jump in. Thank you, everyone, for joining today, Scinai Immunotherapeutics corporate overview and 2026 midyear business update. My name is Andrew Eriksen. I’m a Managing Director here at Allele Capital, who works directly with the Scinai team, and we’re helping kind of put on this event today. So we’re going to run through a bit of the first half results that you might have noticed Scinai published just yesterday, review some of those financials, some of those business updates, and then Amir is going to give us a bit of an outlook for the rest of 2026 and why the team is ultimately really excited about what’s to come.

So without further ado, we’ll get into it, and then we’ll save the questions at the end. If you’re watching on LinkedIn or YouTube, there’s chat boxes for both of those platforms, so submit your questions, and we’ll get to those at the end of the conversation. So without further ado, let’s jump into the call here, Amir. Maybe what you can do is, I’m sure a lot of people on the call are familiar with who you are, but maybe just a quick background on yourself and your role at Scinai and then we can get into some of the first half details.

Amir Reichman
CEO & Director

Thank you very much, Andrew, and welcome, everybody, to our webinar today. I’m Amir Reichman. I have a biotechnology engineering master’s degree and an MBA from the Wharton School of Penn University. My background goes back more than 20 years

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has awarded SpaceX owner Elon Musk one of the country’s highest state honors, the Order of Freedom, as Kyiv continues seeking to expand its use of Musk’s Starlink satellite internet terminals amid the ongoing war with Russia, according to a presidential decree published Wednesday.

The decree, published on the Ukrainian presidential website, praised Musk “for outstanding personal contributions to protecting human life and freedom, and for developing relations between the peoples of Ukraine and the United States of America,” according to Reuters.

Starlink has played a central role in Ukraine’s military operations since the earliest days of the war. Musk switched on the satellite internet service over Ukraine shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, and the system has since become a critical component of Ukraine’s battlefield communications infrastructure, as well as a key tool used for piloting military drones.

The relationship between Musk and Ukraine’s government has not been without tension. Earlier this year, Musk agreed to turn off thousands of Russian “grey-market” Starlink terminals operating within Ukraine, a move that created significant operational problems for Russian forces relying on that unauthorized access. That decision came at the request of Ukraine’s former Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who was dismissed from his post in July.

Ukraine has now formally asked to expand its use of Starlink specifically to cover Russian territory, as Kyiv seeks to strike targets including launchers used to fire ballistic missiles that have caused extensive destruction across Ukrainian cities. According to Reuters, Zelenskyy said he had been told that Musk initially opposed extending Starlink’s coverage into Russian territory, viewing the move as a “major escalation” of the broader war. However, Zelenskyy indicated the situation may be shifting, saying Ukraine had “started to receive a different, more encouraging feedback” on the request more recently.

Zelenskyy argued that expanding Starlink’s operational coverage into Russian territory could meaningfully reduce capabilities Russia has relied on to prolong the conflict, framing the potential expansion as a significant strategic tool in Ukraine’s broader effort to counter continued Russian missile strikes against its cities and civilian infrastructure.

The awarding of Ukraine’s Order of Freedom to Musk reflects the country’s continued reliance on Starlink as an essential piece of wartime infrastructure, even as the underlying relationship between Musk and Ukrainian officials has periodically shown signs of friction, particularly around questions of how far Musk is willing to go in supporting more escalatory uses of the satellite network. The honor comes at a moment when Kyiv appears to be actively working to secure Musk’s continued cooperation and goodwill, given how directly Ukraine’s request to expand Starlink coverage into Russian territory depends on Musk’s own willingness to authorize that expanded use.

Starlink’s broader significance to Ukraine’s war effort extends beyond battlefield communications and drone operations alone. The satellite network has provided a resilient communications backbone for large portions of the country throughout the war, helping maintain connectivity for military and civilian users alike even amid sustained Russian attacks on Ukraine’s conventional telecommunications infrastructure. That resilience has made Starlink one of the most strategically significant pieces of foreign technological support Ukraine has received since the war began, alongside more conventional forms of military and financial assistance from Western governments.

Musk’s relationship with the war has evolved considerably since Starlink’s initial 2022 activation over Ukraine. His decision earlier this year to disable unauthorized Russian access to the network, taken at the request of Ukrainian officials, demonstrated a continued willingness to support Ukraine’s position in specific circumstances, even as his more recent reported reluctance to authorize Starlink use directly over Russian territory suggests continued caution regarding steps he views as carrying meaningful escalatory risk within the broader conflict.

Ukraine’s Order of Freedom ranks among the country’s most significant state honors, typically reserved for individuals who have made substantial contributions to Ukraine’s sovereignty, security or international standing. The decision to bestow the award on Musk specifically, at a moment when Ukraine is actively seeking his cooperation on an unresolved and strategically significant request regarding Starlink’s operational scope, underscores the practical diplomatic dimension of the honor alongside its symbolic recognition of Musk’s contributions to Ukraine’s wartime communications capabilities over the preceding three years.

As of this report, neither Musk nor SpaceX had issued a public statement responding to the award or directly addressing Ukraine’s specific request to expand Starlink coverage into Russian territory. With Zelenskyy describing recent signals from Musk’s camp as more encouraging than the initial opposition reportedly expressed, further developments regarding whether and how Starlink’s operational footprint might expand to support Ukraine’s efforts to target Russian missile launch sites are likely to remain a closely watched element of the broader war’s trajectory in the weeks ahead, given how directly any change in Starlink’s coverage could affect the operational balance between Ukrainian and Russian forces.

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CALIF. — Stan Stuka has returned to Dole Packaged Foods, LLC, in the newly created role of vice president, commercial.  

As vice president, commercial, Stuka will lead sales and marketing to help drive commercial growth and strengthen brand performance, the company said.

Prior to returning to Dole, Stuka was director of consumer and HCP at Amgen, where he spent approximately six years in various consumer roles.

In his earlier years at Dole Packaged Foods, Stuka was senior director of marketing for the company’s shelf-stable fruit and juice business and previously was director of marketing for fruit bowls as well as canned fruit and jars.

“Stan brings a strong combination of institutional knowledge, commercial expertise, and proven leadership,” said Hidehiro Tanabe, president of Dole Packaged Foods, US. “By bringing sales and marketing closer together, we’re better connecting consumer insights, brand building, and marketplace execution to drive growth and deliver Sunshine For All.”

Before his roles at Dole Packaged Foods, LLC, and Amgen, Stuka spent approximately six years Dole Food Co. holding several management positions. 

Keeping a construction project on schedule depends on more than having enough workers on site. Materials need to arrive at the right time, in the correct quantities and, where necessary, prepared to the required specifications.

A contractor may have the labour, equipment and approvals ready, but work can still come to a halt if essential materials are unavailable. A delayed steel beam, reinforcement order or concrete delivery can affect not only one task but several stages that depend on it.

This is why reliable material supply should be treated as part of project planning rather than simply a purchasing function. For construction businesses, choosing the right suppliers can make the difference between maintaining the programme and dealing with costly delays.

Material Delays Can Affect the Entire Construction Programme

Construction projects involve a sequence of interconnected activities. Foundations need to be completed before structural work can progress, structural elements need to be in place before certain installations can begin, and finishing trades often depend on earlier stages being completed on time. When an important material arrives late, the impact therefore rarely stops with one contractor.

Consider a project where structural steel is scheduled for installation on Monday. The installation team has been booked, lifting equipment is available and subsequent work has been planned around the steel being installed. If the steel does not arrive until Thursday, the business may have to reschedule workers and equipment while pushing later activities further down the programme.

Repeated problems of this kind can quickly turn a manageable construction schedule into a difficult one.

The UK government publishes regular statistics covering building materials and components, including price indices, production and the import and export of construction products. This data highlights how closely the wider construction sector is connected to the availability and movement of building materials.

Reliable Suppliers Make Project Planning Easier

Contractors cannot control every part of the supply chain, but they can reduce uncertainty by working with suppliers that understand construction deadlines.

Price will naturally influence purchasing decisions, particularly on projects where margins are tight. However, choosing a supplier purely because they offer the lowest quote can prove expensive if materials regularly arrive late or orders are incomplete.

A dependable supplier should provide realistic information about stock availability and delivery times. If something cannot be supplied by the required date, the contractor needs to know early enough to make alternative arrangements.

Communication becomes particularly important when specifications change. Construction projects do not always progress exactly according to the original plan. Measurements can change, engineers may revise requirements and contractors may suddenly require additional materials. Having a responsive supplier makes these situations much easier to manage.

Local and Well-Stocked Suppliers Can Reduce Lead Times

Long and complicated supply chains create additional opportunities for disruption. Imported products may have to pass through manufacturers, freight companies, ports, distributors and local transport providers before reaching a construction site.

There is nothing inherently wrong with sourcing internationally, and many construction products depend on global supply chains. However, contractors should understand the lead times and potential risks involved when building their procurement schedules.

For frequently required materials, using established UK stockholders can provide more flexibility. This is particularly useful when a project requires an additional quantity at short notice or when specifications change after work has started.

Structural steel is a good example. A project may require universal beams and columns, reinforcement, steel sections, plates or sheets at different stages of construction. Contractors also need to consider whether materials require cutting, drilling or fabrication before they can be delivered to site.

Working with a supplier that can handle several of these requirements can make procurement easier. Steel Stock Direct supplies structural steel products including beams, columns, channels, angles, hollow sections, steel plates and sheets, rebar and reinforcing mesh, alongside cutting and fabrication services. Bringing more of these requirements under one supplier can reduce the amount of coordination required between purchasing, processing and delivery.

Fabrication and Processing Should Be Considered When Ordering

Availability alone does not mean a material is ready to use. A steel beam sitting in stock, for instance, is of limited use if the project requires it to be cut, drilled or otherwise fabricated before installation. Contractors therefore need to consider the complete journey from placing an order to having a usable component arrive on site.

This is an area where procurement teams can prevent unnecessary delays. Specifications should be confirmed as early as possible, and drawings or schedules should be supplied to the relevant company with enough time for processing. If bespoke fabrication is required, this should be incorporated into the project programme rather than treated as an additional step after materials have been purchased.

The same principle applies to other construction materials. Ordering the correct product is only part of the process. It also needs to arrive in a condition and specification that allows the site team to use it.

Better Procurement Reduces Last-Minute Purchasing

Last-minute orders are sometimes unavoidable, but they should not become the normal way a construction project operates.

Reactive procurement leaves a business with fewer options. The preferred product may be unavailable, the normal supplier may not have enough stock, or expedited delivery may significantly increase costs.

Planning purchases around the construction programme gives procurement teams more time to compare suppliers, confirm specifications and arrange deliveries for appropriate dates.

This does not necessarily mean ordering every material at the beginning of a project. Doing so can create storage, security and cash-flow problems. Instead, businesses can establish when key materials will be required and work backwards from those dates to determine sensible ordering deadlines.

Materials with longer lead times should receive particular attention. These should be identified during the planning stage and monitored throughout the project.

Delivery Timing Matters as Much as Availability

A supplier may have everything in stock and still cause problems if delivery is poorly coordinated.

Construction sites often have limited storage space. Large quantities of materials arriving too early can obstruct working areas and create unnecessary handling. Arriving too late creates the opposite problem, leaving workers waiting for something they need. The goal should be to coordinate deliveries with actual site requirements.

For structural materials, this can be particularly important because unloading may require lifting equipment or designated access. If a delivery misses its allocated window, reorganising cranes, forklifts, workers or traffic management can create additional costs.

Project managers should therefore communicate delivery requirements clearly and confirm them with suppliers before important dates.

Reliable suppliers also need to communicate when circumstances change. An early warning that a delivery will be delayed gives the site manager an opportunity to adjust the schedule. Finding out when the delivery was supposed to arrive provides far fewer options.

Avoid Depending on a Single Source for Critical Materials

Building good supplier relationships is valuable, but construction companies should still understand where their biggest supply risks are.

If one material is essential to the critical path and only one supplier can provide it, any disruption affecting that supplier becomes a project risk.

Contractors can reduce this exposure by identifying alternative suppliers for important materials before they are needed. This doesn’t mean splitting every order between several businesses. It simply means knowing where equivalent materials could be sourced if the normal route becomes unavailable.

Specifications should also be documented properly so that alternative suppliers can quickly understand what is required.

For particularly large projects, procurement teams may want to review critical materials regularly alongside the construction schedule. Changes in availability, lead times or prices can then be identified before they become site problems.

Strong Supplier Relationships Have Long-Term Value

Construction businesses often focus on individual project costs, but reliable suppliers can create value across multiple projects.

Over time, a supplier becomes familiar with the contractor’s typical requirements, delivery expectations and working practices. The contractor also develops a better understanding of what the supplier can realistically provide.

This can make future procurement quicker and more predictable. Strong relationships can be especially useful when urgent requirements arise. A supplier that understands the business and has previously handled similar orders may be able to respond more effectively than a company being contacted for the first time.

That does not mean contractors should stop comparing prices or assessing performance. Supplier relationships work best when they are supported by consistent service, transparent communication and competitive commercial terms.

Reliable Supply Is Part of Good Project Management

Construction delays are not always preventable. Weather, planning issues, labour shortages and unexpected site conditions can all affect a programme.

Material-related disruption, however, is one area where careful planning can make a significant difference.

Construction companies should know which materials are critical, understand their lead times and communicate requirements with suppliers well before they are needed. They should also consider processing, fabrication and delivery requirements rather than looking only at whether a product is technically available.

Ultimately, a reliable material supply chain gives project managers greater control over the construction programme. When the right materials arrive at the right place and at the right time, teams can keep working, equipment can be used as planned and contractors have a much better chance of delivering projects on schedule.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRAILIA — Funday Natural Sweets, a confectionery manufacturer based in Australia, is launching in the United States.

The company’s gluten-free gummy snacks are formulated with natural colors, natural flavors and are free from added sugar and sugar alcohols, according to the company. The gummies contain up to 9 grams of fiber per serving.

The candy is available in flavors such as strawberry and cream, Aussie mix (pineapple, vanilla and raspberry), peaches and creams, fruity kangaroos (green apple and tropical), and fruity koalas (blueberry, strawberry and peach).

The snacks will launch at Target stores nationwide starting in September.

The U.S. Treasury Department’s newly launched Operation Economic Outcast against Iran could take anger toward the regime to a “boiling point” and force Tehran into the one situation it “fears the most,” experts tell FOX Business. 

The aggressive strategy, labeled as an “Economic D-Day” and initiated under the direction of President Donald Trump, aims to “tighten the noose and block every potential source of revenue that funds the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Iranian regime,” according to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The Trump administration also will implement secondary sanctions to pressure nations into severing ties with Tehran, while simultaneously blacklisting nearly 60 people, businesses and vessels involved in illicit trade. 

“Anger is simmering just below boiling point,” Kasra Aarabi, the director of IRGC Research at United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), told FOX Business, referencing the mass protests that unfolded inside Iran earlier this year. “And these economic measures, that tightening the economic noose, could take it to boiling point.” 

“The regime wants to absolutely avoid a situation whereby protests take place against it, and the U.S. has military assets in the region. Because it fears — the one thing it fears the most — is protests with air cover,” he added. 

US AIMS FOR ‘ECONOMIC ASPHYXIATION’ OF IRANIAN REGIME WITH NEW WAVE OF SECONDARY SANCTIONS

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, left, is seen during a press conference at the Treasury Department in Washington, D.C., on Monday, Aug. 24, 2026, as he announced a new set of sanctions against Iran. On the right, ships are anchored in the Stra (Mehmet Eser/Anadolu via Getty Images; Ali Saeedi/Getty Images / Getty Images)

Aarabi said the Iranian regime had already been “suffering economically” prior to the launch of Operation Economic Outcast, with the U.S. military blockading Iranian ports. 

“The blockade, the U.S.-imposed blockade, is working, and their oil exports are next to none; they’re zero… that is affecting their ability to, first of all, fund the military in the regime,” he continued. “The senior officials of the Islamic Republic have been absolutely clear that any money that comes into their hands will go to the military. The military is the top priority. So tightening the noose is exactly what the U.S. should be doing. And the regime is panicking. 

“I have that from sources in Iran itself. Prior to ‘Economic D-Day,’ they were scrambling,” he added. “They were scrambling to look for alternative avenues, given the fact that the southern corridor, the Persian Gulf, was completely shut off for their oil exports, for the transportation of other key goods.” 

Jason Brodsky, the policy director of United Against Nuclear Iran, told FOX Business that “Operation Economic Outcast is a different iteration of the maximum pressure campaign which has been ongoing for many years now.” 

“This has been an unprecedented situation because right now there’s the synchronization of economic and military power from the United States with the launching of an unprecedented economic blockade against the Iranian regime,” he said. “So all of this is going to be contributing to the dire financial situation and picture that the Iranian regime confronts.” 

‘ECONOMIC D-DAY’ ON IRAN PUTS TRADING PARTNERS IN CROSSHAIRS AS TEHRAN THREATENS RETALIATION

Tanks are seen during an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) ground forces military drill in the Aras area of Iran on Oct. 17, 2022. Bessent vowed this week that “the actions of Treasury and other agencies will tighten the noose and block every (IRGC/WANA/Reuters / Reuters)

“Without a doubt, the Treasury Department’s Operation Economic Outcast will deprive the Iranian regime of resources that it would use to otherwise fund its terror proxies throughout the region,” Brodsky added. “I’m talking Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, the Iraqi Shia militias, so that actually saves lives if the Iranian regime is not able to foment and pay its terror apparatus. And that’s why it’s fundamentally in the U.S. national security interest for Operation Economic Outcast to be carried out robustly and to the fullest extent.” 

UANI on Wednesday also released its 10 recommendations for Operation Economic Outcast, which Brodsky described as policy recommendations “aimed to provide some meat on the bones” of the U.S. Treasury’s campaign. 

They call for the U.S. to “sanction every Iranian bank, financial institution, and exchange house, including all foreign branches that provide material support to the IRGC, Iran’s Intelligence Ministry, or designated terrorist proxies,” and to “fully target Iran’s ‘Ghost Armada’ of foreign-owned vessels,” among other measures. 

The developments come as Iran continues to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz during Operation Epic Fury, which the U.S. launched against Tehran on Feb. 28. 

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre (UKMTO) said Monday that an oil tanker was left disabled after an “unknown projectile” struck the vessel while it was traveling in the Strait of Hormuz. 

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for that incident, but Iran has been blamed by Middle Eastern countries for recent attacks on tankers affiliated with the United Arab Emirates’ state-owned energy company. 

Brodsky said Wednesday that Iran has been “attacking ships for many years, long before the U.S. launched Operation Epic Fury.” 

People gather during a mass protest on Jan. 8, 2026 in Tehran, Iran.  (Getty Images / Getty Images)

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“Iran has been trying to sabotage commercial vessels within the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz area. So this has been a long history of Iranian sabotage. And, ultimately, it’s going to have to come to regime change in Iran for the Iranian government to behave differently. Unfortunately, that’s the reality we’re confronting,” he said. 

FOX Business’ Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

CHICAGO — If you ask Clarice Turner, president and chief executive officer of the Almond Board of California (ABC), to name all the food applications for almonds, you’d get a similar answer if you asked her to name all her career stops in the food industry: a long and surprising list.

Recently completing her third year as ABC’s leader, Turner sees ongoing strong demand for almonds and a ripe field of opportunity for the commodity at a time when consumers want better-for-you foods, snacks and ingredients and food manufacturers and processors are seeking more options to bring that to them, including in the baked foods arena. California produces 80% of the world’s almond supply, and ABC now counts 14 forms (soon to be 15) in which almonds can be used in snacks, meals and beverages — well above the handful that Turner said she was aware of when joining the board in July 2023.

In furthering ABC’s mission, Turner brings a deep well of industry experience and expertise, spanning consumer packaged foods, beverages, foodservice and agriculture in categories such as bakery, pizza and wine and at companies large and small like PepsiCo, Yum! Brands, Papa Murphy’s, Starbucks, Boudin Bakery and Joseph Phelps Vineyards. A former board member of Blaze Pizza, she currently sits on the board of Delicato Family Wines and chairs the board at Kylix Vineyards.

“I see it as a flywheel,” Turner said when asked about her unique food industry perspective in an interview at IFT FIRST 2026 in Chicago. “I think when you get pull created in any supply chain, you start to get efficiencies. When you’re trying to push, it’s just harder. One of the beautiful things about almonds is that everybody loves them. They’re good for the environment. They’re good for the human body. That creates a lot of pull in ways that many other commodities wouldn’t. I see that in many different sectors, too. I look at all the different things that we did at Starbucks, the things we tried to push. Lots of investment, R&D and marketing up front. And if a consumer didn’t want it, good luck. You’re just going to have to try again. So I think one of the insights is starting with what the consumer wants.”

Modesto, Calif.-based ABC has stoked supply chain and consumer pull by touting the array of formats for almonds, including at the annual food technologists event, where the board’s booth fronted a cluster of displays by various food industry startups.

“Fourteen forms of almonds with endless possibilities — if we were to have a tagline right now, that would be it,” Turner quipped.

One nut, many uses

Besides being eaten directly as a snack, natural or roasted whole almonds may be added to snack mixes and bars, coated or enrobed in various flavors, or used to add crunch and/or a visual flourish to snack clusters and confections. Almonds also may be offered sliced, flaked, slivered, diced and chopped for use in a wide range of applications: ingredients for baked foods, cereals or bars; toppings for baked foods, salads and prepared foods; coatings for savory dishes and ice cream bars; garnishes for baked foods and desserts; crusts for meat and seafood; fillings for baked items and confections; and, in general, to bring more texture and crunch to snacks, confections and other foods. Green almonds, with fuzzy exteriors and soft or creamy insides, offer a seasonal delicacy as well as a cooking ingredient and garnish option.

In addition, almonds may be made into almond butter (for use as a spread or dip, a binder in baked foods, and a filling or coating in confections), almond paste (for use as a filling or binder in baked items to create a chewier texture), almond milk (providing a non-dairy option and flavor ingredient), almond meal (for use as a breadcrumb substitute, snack coating, or texture/crunch agent for baked items) and almond flour (providing a more wholesome, gluten-free flour option). The latter also includes defatted almond flour that yields almond oil.

“Probably the two (almond applications) that most people haven’t heard about would be defatted flour and oil, which is a byproduct of that defatted flour,” Turner said. “Oil and defatted flour have a lot of different applications. We’re actually just learning how many because it solves a lot of different problems that food scientists and R&D chefs are trying to formulate for.”

Defatted almond flour is a more finely ground form of almond flour from which a percentage of the oil has been removed, lowering the calories and fat per serving. ABC said the defatted form’s extra-fine texture and clean taste bring more versatility and fewer masking agents, contributing to a clean, gluten-free label for use in adding density to bars or as a substitute for crusts or a binder. Also, ABC said, almond oil adds a nutty, toasty flavor “to just about anything,” from cakes, cookies, muffins and bread to chips, popcorn snacks, salad dressings or sauces.

“One of the exciting things is, as we start to discover the physical characterization of these different forms, we’re making it easier for chefs to understand how to solve problems, because they’re so versatile and there are so many different physical characteristics that they can influence,” Turner said.

A 15th form for almonds is in the offing: almond hulls. The fibrous outer casings of almond shells, traditionally used in animal feed, offer nutritional benefits like high fiber content, natural sugars, phytochemicals and minerals, as well as processing versatility. That makes them a natural fit for the value-added ingredients food space, such as for baked foods, cereals, nutritional bars and beverages. In May, almond hull powder achieved generally recognized as safe (GRAS) status for human food from the US Food and Drug Administration, opening the door for food companies to explore its use as an ingredient.

“The newest form, our 15th form, that will be debuting is hulls,” Turner said. “We’re just in benchtop commercialization. Our growers have been investing in research on hulls for over 10 years, knowing that we’re a zero-waste crop.

“Now that we’ve got GRAS status, we are off to the races with trying to see where hull powder will get pull. You can push and you can pull in this game that we play in ingredients. But it’s really helpful to see where the pull comes from before you start building a marketing program around trying to sell something. You need to know that the buyer actually wants it.”

That pull will be the surging demand for more fiber in the diet, and Turner said hull powder brings “very, very concentrated fiber.”

“Protein is important, but fiber is also,” she said. “If you can figure out a way to get incremental fiber into your diet, it’s always a good thing.”

Baking foundation

Last year, almonds were included in nearly 10,000 new products worldwide, according to ABC.

“A good deal of those are baked,” Turner said. “I’m learning more and more about the baked goods.”

Turner already has a grounding in baked foods — and in baking traditions. From March 2016 to July 2018, she was CEO of Boudin Bakery, a bakery cafe chain known for its “Original San Francisco Sourdough” and as the city’s oldest continuously operating business.

“I was CEO of Boudin in San Francisco, so I understand bakery,” she said. “The inclusions in bakery and the different kinds of flours that you can use … We were all about sourdough (at Boudin), right? So we didn’t have a lot of mixtures happening. But as you start to peel it back, you understand that there’s a definition of bakery around the world that’s very different.”

Turner cited the influence of French baking traditions worldwide, including on baking practices in Mexico and Morocco.

“As I do travel, I understand bakery from one culture to the other,” she said. “And when you layer the cultures on top of that, you start to come up with some really interesting combinations.”

At Boudin, Turner discovered that sourdough “is a category in and of itself,” beyond its taste and bread characteristics.

“I’ve been eating Boudin since I was a little girl because my aunt who lived in San Francisco loved Boudin bread and knew that sourdough was unique,” she said. “When I first took over Boudin, I was looking at the P&Ls and I’m like, ‘Why do we have such a huge cost with FedEx? What are we shipping all over the place?’ It turns out that, every 30 days, the yeast and the starter morphs enough when you’re not in San Francisco that it actually doesn’t taste this sour. You literally have to burn off the starter and start over. So we were shipping starter to all the bakeries throughout California every 30 days, and it has to be refrigerated. So cold chain, the whole nine yards. But there’s a reason that bread tastes so good.”

She noted that sourdough “has a lot of macrobiotic qualities to it” and represents “a different sort of take on bread.”

“What I came to appreciate, though, is just the artistry in the baking,” she said. “I’m a certified baker for sourdough. And going through all of that, I understand the artistry and the science and how complicated it is.”

With ABC, Turner said she’s working with the board to go “more mainstream” in the flour business beyond “the pastry end of things.” That includes “being able to bring different characteristics to bear within bread” by exploring the potential of blending in almond flour, she said.

“There’s such an emotional tie to bread everywhere in the world that’s amazing,” she said. “Bread is another one of those things that brings people together. So I think that could help the bread industry have more of that appeal.”

Demand for almond flour has continued to grow, Turner said, in large part because of its healthful properties. Almond flour offers a nutritious alternative for gluten-free baking by providing nutrients often lacking in other flours — such as fiber, calcium, iron and protein — and serving as an excellent source of vitamin E and a good source of magnesium, according to ABC.

Photo: ©NATALIIA YUDINA – STOCK.ADOBE.COM

“We have six bakery programs around the world that have launched,” Turner said. “Some are co-funded by local governments because they’re very concerned about their populations and disease. Diabetes is off the charts in many countries, including this one. We have governments who are very interested in trying to understand how can they substitute almond flour, for example, in their indigenous baked goods to help bring that glycemic index down. So we’re working with bakery schools, governments, chefs and pastry chefs in different countries to try and understand how we can be part of that solution from a health standpoint and also functionality. Apparently, almond flour does a lot of great things for baked goods.”

Food industry fast lane

A ninth-generation Californian with deep family roots in farming, going back to 1776, Turner was born and raised in the food industry.

“My family pretty much farms just about every crop you could mention in the state, including almonds,” she said. “So I grew up around it. My dad grew grapes, and I was in the midst of it my entire life.”

Turner was raised among grape growers in Ukiah, an agricultural hub for wine country in Northern California’s Mendocino County.

“I had an appreciation for what it took,” she said. “When there was a frost, the alarms went off in the middle of the night. Every kid, every person, we were all out there lighting all the smudge pots so that the crop didn’t freeze. So you get a real appreciation of what it can take in agriculture to have a crop or not have a crop.”

Turner received a bachelor’s degree in geology from San Francisco State University and later an MBA in international business from its business school. She also attended Fudan University in Shanghai, studying business and the Mandarin language, and underwent executive and board director training at Harvard University and Northwestern University. But she noted that it was PepsiCo that “put my career on the fast track” in recruiting her “straight out of grad school.”

“When Pepsi recruited me, it was a fast-track management program,” Turner said. “It was expected, every two years, that you either get promoted or you’re out. And when you get promoted, it means you have to move. I moved five times in 10 years. And I would be in finance and marketing and real estate and construction, and those weren’t my background. But you were expected to become a general manager; that’s what they were grooming you for. So I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect thing, to grab me out of grad school and put me into all these different environments.”

Seven years at PepsiCo, capped off in the role of national director of Canadian operations, led to eight years at fast-food operator Yum! Brands, most recently as national director of operations. Another stretch in foodservice followed, including two years as president and chief operating officer at take-and-bake pizza chain Papa Murphy’s International and then seven years as a senior vice president and general manager at Starbucks, including roles overseeing the US business, Americas licensing, the global foods and evenings business and, most recently, global supply chain strategy.

After that, she spent about two-and-a-half years at Boudin Bakery and then close to four years as president of family winery Joseph Phelps Vineyards before coming to ABC. She served as a board member at Blaze Pizza for nearly eight years and remains a director at Delicato Family Wines, Kylix Vinyards and Women Corporate Directors, where she is co-chair.

Turner’s broad and deep background has enabled her to take the longer view when it comes to innovation.

“There are so many potential homes for things, but understanding how it starts and how it works its way through, it’s been a really interesting vantage point for me,” she said.

Turner noted “it doesn’t matter how great your product is if you can’t make it through the supply chain” in recalling her experience at Starbucks when it came to pilot programs.

“If you can’t hit these 10 things, just forget it,” she explained. “It has to have shelf life. It has to have a good cost of sales. It has to have application through the supply chain. The baristas have to love it. It has to have a ‘wow’ factor. It has to reinforce the culture. All these things. For most organizations, whether they can articulate that or not, that’s part of the mix, and you may know you’re dealing with that or not as a supplier. That’s the operator in me, saying either the thing is going to work and I can execute it and it’s going to make money in my P&L, or have a nice day.”

Almonds back in balance

At ABC, Turner and her team’s pursuit of innovative uses of almonds, new customers and new markets comes amid shifts in the almond trade. A slightly smaller California almond crop is forecast for 2026 — at 2.7 billion lbs, down 1% year over year — and bearing almond acreage is down for the first time since 1995. Also, ABC said, 2025 marked the fourth-straight year of declines in total almond acreage.

“Total acreage has been coming down for about four years,” Turner said. “Bearing acreage this last year is the first time in a long time that that’s come down. What that means is supply is contracting a little bit. Some of the orchards are aging out, and people are just choosing not to replace them. We’ve had a fair bit of abandoned orchards, too. So supply got ahead of demand for a while. There are many reasons for that. COVID is one of them. We couldn’t get anything shipped out of the port of Oakland, and that’s where most of our product goes out to the rest of the world.

“But because (almonds) have a two-year shelf life, that’s both a blessing and a curse in that situation because then you’re sitting on a lot of inventory. And we had the largest crop in the state’s history on top of it. That caused a little bit of a backlog, and it took some time to work through that. And the farmers didn’t make money for about four years. So we’ve been losing a lot of them.”

About 7,600 farmers in California grow almonds, mainly in the Central Valley, and 90% are families that live on their land, Turner said. The supply-and-demand imbalance, which pulled down almond pricing, “was the case for about four years,” Turner said. But currently, despite elevated input costs, California almond growers sit in a better position to meet the strong demand.

“Now we’re in a place I call equilibrium, where supply and demand have come back into balance,” Turner said. “What I wish for our farmers more than anything else is stability. And that’s part of what we’re trying to do, make sure we do everything we can to create that. So not just marketing the crop almonds, but things like innovation to develop another potential income stream.”