WS #14810

The geopolitical narrative has shifted from pure escalation to a fragile de-escalation phase, driven by Iran's proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days. This development has caused Brent crude to retreat from $96.50, dampening the immediate supply-shock thesis and triggering a broad market rally. The US Treasury's confirmation that Scott Bessent will not serve as AI Czar clarifies the administration's AI governance structure, while the DOJ closing its CrowdStrike investigation removes a lingering overhang on the cybersecurity sector. Meanwhile, the Pentagon's blacklisting of Anthropic was upheld by a US court, reinforcing the regulatory moat around established defense contractors like Palantir and Microsoft.