WS #12335

The US-Iran conflict continues to ESCALATE sharply, with Iran's IRGC claiming to have downed a US drone and halted tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, while Iranian drone strikes targeted US bases in Bahrain as part of the fifteenth phase of Operation 'Thunder'. Kuwait air defense remains active intercepting Iranian threats. Ukrainian drones struck a Wildberries logistics center near Moscow, escalating the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Separately, unconfirmed reports from Kentucky Governor Beshear indicate Senator McConnell may have passed away, which could trigger a special election and shift Senate dynamics. The EU is challenging social media engagement architecture (infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications) which could reshape Meta's business model if upheld. Meta's ad engine shows 33% growth with pricing power returning, but the stock remains at a discount. The tech selloff continues with semiconductor concerns, while gold holds near $4,000. The macro narrative remains dominated by geopolitical risk and inflation fears, with the oil spike as the primary market mover.