WS #12546

The US-Iran conflict continues to escalate with a 10th consecutive night of US strikes on Iran, a Kuwaiti tanker hit in the Strait of Hormuz, and Houthi moves to blockade Saudi shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, putting two critical energy corridors under threat. Oil prices have surged past $90/barrel (Brent) and WTI crude futures rose nearly 3% to $85.55/barrel, the highest since June 12. Trump vowed Tehran will 'pay' and is reportedly preparing to announce 10% tariffs on 'dozens of countries' this week, adding trade war uncertainty. Meanwhile, the US Trade Representative signaled new tariffs are coming soon. On the corporate front, General Motors reported better-than-expected Q2 results and raised FY26 adjusted EPS guidance, sending shares higher. Danaher (DHR) reported mixed Q2 results with a revenue outlook cut and biotech weakness, causing a 14% pre-market drop. Hasbro (HAS) swung to a profit and raised guidance on strong Magic: The Gathering sales. Intel (INTC) saw a pump that is now fading below VWAP. Unsubstantiated claims that Iran blew up an Amazon data center in Bahrain are circulating but unconfirmed. The dominant narrative of escalating US-Iran conflict and rising oil prices is ESCALATING, with no counter-signals or de-escalation detected.