WS #14134
The dominant US-Iran/Hormuz narrative is ESCALATING with several new data points. Iran and Oman have agreed on a safe shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz, but Iran's deputy foreign minister insists the strait will only open under Iran's command, and the US is not party to the deal. Trump escalated rhetoric, posting an AI image of seizing an Iranian tanker and declaring he will make Hormuz a US territory. A third ADNOC vessel was attacked in a week, and the UK Maritime Trade Operations reported a projectile strike on a bulk carrier. Brent crude rose ~6% this week. US refiners are at full capacity with no flex left, and US gasoline prices are up 29% YoY. The USS George Washington is leaving the Pacific to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln, leaving the western Pacific without a US carrier, a strategic shift with implications for China. Meanwhile, Nvidia disclosed a $21B SpaceX stake and $30B Intel stake, and Anthropic's Q2 revenue surged to $11.5B ahead of a potential IPO. Berkshire added to Delta and Alphabet stakes. These developments are cross-corroborated across multiple sources (Fortune, Reuters, Al-Monitor, GDELT, Peak Oil).
Topics
Key developments
- Iran and Oman agree on safe shipping route through Strait of Hormuz; Iran insists strait opens only under its command
- Third ADNOC vessel attacked in a week; UKMTO reports projectile strike on bulk carrier
- Trump posts AI image of seizing Iranian tanker, declares Hormuz will be US territory
- US gasoline prices up 29% YoY, refiners at full capacity with no flex left
- USS George Washington leaves Pacific for Middle East, leaving no US carrier in western Pacific
- Nvidia discloses $21B SpaceX stake and $30B Intel stake
- Anthropic Q2 revenue surges to $11.5B, up 14x YoY, ahead of potential $2T IPO
- Berkshire adds to Delta and Alphabet stakes in Q2