WS #9569

The dominant signal in this window is a dramatic de-escalation in the US-Iran conflict. President Trump announced he has cancelled planned military strikes against Iran that were set to proceed this evening, stating that discussions and final points have been approved by all parties involved. The naval blockade will remain in full force until a deal is finalized, and the time and place of signing will be announced shortly. This represents a sharp reversal from the previous narrative of imminent strikes on Kharg Island and a major escalation. The cancellation is cross-confirmed by multiple sources (Bluesky, Reuters, AP). Oil prices are dropping sharply on the news, which will have significant market implications across energy, airlines, and consumer sectors. Separately, the ECB raised rates by 25bps, and the IMF said further hikes will be needed. European stocks snapped a losing run, lifted by banks. The UK Defence Secretary John Healey resigned over spending cuts, and PM Starmer responded. The House rejected a FISA 702 extension, creating intel gap risk. SpaceX IPO demand tops $100B from retail investors ahead of Friday's listing, with NYT reporting skepticism about the $1.77 trillion valuation. Oracle reported Q4 results and announced a $40B financing plan for FY27, causing software and AI cloud stocks to trade lower. NOVONIX delivered a mass production qualification sample to Panasonic Energy. Anthropic apologized for hidden guardrails in Claude Fable 5.