WS #8387

The dominant narrative remains the US-Iran conflict, which is ESCALATING. Multiple sources (Faytuks, The Spectator Index, Fars News) report a US defense operation in Bandar Abbas, Iran, with explosions and air defenses activated. This follows the ongoing Strait of Hormuz blockade and oil price volatility. The US official statement that the operation 'does not affect the ceasefire' is a counter-signal, but the explosions themselves are a clear escalation. Oil prices are likely to spike on this news, benefiting energy stocks (XOM, CVX) and pressuring airlines (DAL, UAL). Separately, Ohio is halting data center tax credits, a negative for tech infrastructure plays (AMZN, GOOGL, MSFT). Synopsys settles with Elliott, naming Jesse Cohn to the board, a positive for SNPS. Leopold Aschenbrenner's $2.5B stake in Nebius (NBIS) is a high-signal insider move. Zscaler's miss is dragging cybersecurity stocks (CRWD, NET, PANW). The S&P 500 consultation on fast-tracking mega-cap IPOs is a structural development to watch.