WS #12611

The US-Iran conflict continues to escalate with the 11th consecutive night of US strikes on Iran, as confirmed by multiple sources including Al Jazeera, CNBC, and BBC. Brent oil jumped 2% to hold above $92, and WTI rose 2.5% to $86.46. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated the US is open to negotiations but accused Iran of not being serious, keeping the Strait of Hormuz as a key sticking point. This is corroborated by Al Jazeera, CNBC, and multiple Bluesky posts. The conflict is driving oil prices higher and disrupting shipping, with Polymarket showing active betting on Strait of Hormuz traffic disruption. Separately, the Bank of Japan is reportedly open to faster rate hikes due to yen weakness, which could pressure US tech stocks via carry trade unwind. This is a carry-forward from previous awareness with no new data, so it is not repeated as a new development. Tesla enters earnings with shorts piling in and technicals weakening, per S3 Partners, a bearish signal for TSLA ahead of its report. Nasdaq futures are under pressure ahead of Tesla and Alphabet results, with Bitcoin holding below $66,000 as the market awaits Alphabet earnings to gauge the AI trade. The dominant theme is the US-Iran conflict, which is ESCALATING, with oil prices rising and diplomatic channels appearing stalled.