WS #5769

The Iran-US conflict in the Strait of Hormuz escalates further, with Iran's foreign minister stating the strait will remain blocked until $11 trillion in frozen assets are released, and threatening to end the ceasefire within 48 hours if no US proposal is presented. This follows reports of air defenses activated in Tehran and IRGC generals taking on increased decision-making roles. Crude oil prices continue to surge, with WTI up ~4.9% and Brent up ~4.5% in the latest quotes. Separately, Meta confirms an 8,000-job cut (~10% workforce) as part of an efficiency push amid AI spending, while Microsoft offers voluntary exits to ~7% of US staff (~8,000-9,000 jobs), with MSFT already down 4%+. The DOJ Inspector General launches a major investigation into Epstein files handling, adding political noise. OpenAI announces GPT-5.5, which could intensify AI competition and impact AI-related stocks. The EU adopts its 20th sanctions package against Russia, targeting energy and shadow fleet. VivoPower launches lease bidding for its Norway data center after strong AI operator interest, a positive signal for VIVO. Robinhood secures in-principle approval from Singapore's MAS, supporting HOOD stock. Warner Bros shareholders approve the $81.4 billion Paramount merger, a key milestone. The UK is in talks with Anthropic over Mythos access for banks and businesses, signaling AI adoption in finance.