WS #12401

The US-Iran conflict continues to escalate, with Iran's Revolutionary Guard claiming to have blocked vessels attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz, and unverified reports of a US ATACMS system destroyed in Kuwait. Trump has called for adding Iran to the Russian sanctions bill. Oil prices surged, with Brent closing at $88.10, up 4.59%, amid fears of supply disruption. The Caspian Pipeline Consortium halted oil loadings after a tanker attack at its Black Sea terminal. Chevron is exploring a pipeline alternative to the Strait of Hormuz for Iraqi oil. Separately, Russia launched a massive ballistic missile attack on Kyiv, with 41 missiles and 125 drones, described as one of the largest since the war began. Ukraine struck Russian oil tankers in the Black Sea. Apple overtook Nvidia as the world's most valuable company ($4.88T vs $4.86T), as investors shift focus to Apple's services and AI monetization. Moonshot AI's Kimi K3 model stunned the US tech industry, sparking fresh AI rivalry debate. The dominant theme is US-Iran escalation, which is ESCALATING, with oil supply risks intensifying.