WS #14245

The US-Iran conflict remains the dominant market driver, with the Strait of Hormuz blockade tightening further. Kpler data confirms zero commodity vessel transits on Sunday, down from 31 the prior weekend, and only five on Saturday. This is corroborated by multiple sources including Reuters, GDELT, and Schwab. Trump's threat to bomb Oman if it interferes with Hormuz talks, reported by Fox News and widely syndicated, adds to escalation risk. Brent crude is hovering near $89, with WTI around $82.6, and UK natural gas at a three-week high above 154 pence/therm. The 60-day US-Iran MOU expires today without a deal, and Iran's foreign minister insists the strait will only reopen on Iran's terms. This is a high-significance escalation with direct implications for energy (XOM, CVX), airlines (DAL, UAL), and refiners (MPC, PSX). Separately, Anthropic's projected 2028 revenue of $190-200 billion, reported by Reuters, is boosting AI sentiment, lifting tech futures and semiconductor names like Micron and Broadcom. Berkshire Hathaway's 83% increase in Alphabet stake, making it the third-largest holding, is a notable bullish signal for GOOGL. L3Harris CEO Christopher Kubasik stepped down amid a conduct review, causing shares to drop. Bitcoin ETFs saw their largest outflow in six weeks, with BTC trading around $63.5K, pressured by risk-off sentiment and Fed rate hike expectations.