WS #6844

The dominant theme remains the escalating US-Iran conflict in the Strait of Hormuz, with multiple sources (Al Jazeera, Pentagon footage, satellite imagery) corroborating US strikes on Iranian oil tankers and a suspected oil slick near Kharg Island. This is partially offset by a counter-signal: the White House signals possible diplomatic meetings by May 15, and Polymarket shows bets on a US-Iran peace deal, suggesting de-escalation potential. The tech/AI rally continues strongly: INTC +14%, AMD +11%, DELL +13%, SOXX +5.67%, driven by Apple-Intel chip talks and Anthropic's 80x Q1 revenue growth with a SpaceX compute deal. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq hit record highs. Separately, Libya's largest oil refinery halts operations, adding to oil supply concerns. The Iran/oil risk theme is ESCALATING (strikes, oil slick, Libya halt) but diplomatic signals act as a counter. The tech/AI rally theme is STABLE and continuing.