WS #9439

The dominant signal in this window is a significant escalation in the US-Iran conflict. Multiple sources (Bluesky priority accounts, Axios reporter Barak Ravid) report that Iran's Revolutionary Guards have launched ballistic missile and drone attacks targeting US bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan, with at least 4 ballistic missiles fired. The IRGC claims to have targeted the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain and Al-Azraq air base in Jordan. This follows US strikes on 20 sites across Iran after an Apache helicopter was downed. The escalation is corroborated by reports of warning sirens in Bahrain and a 95% drop in Strait of Hormuz transits, losing 12-14M barrels/day. This development directly counters the prior 'stable' thesis and is likely to drive oil prices sharply higher, benefiting energy stocks (XOM, CVX, XLE) while pressuring airlines (DAL, UAL, AAL) and consumer discretionary. Separately, Meta announced a partnership with Reliance to build an AI-enabled data center in Jamnagar, India (168 MW capacity with options to scale), and is also backing nearly 1 GW of renewable energy with CleanMax and Fourth Partner Energy. The European Commission ordered Meta to reopen WhatsApp to rival AI chatbots. Berkshire Hathaway signaled a $10B investment into GOOG, trimming AMZN and V, indicating a historic capital rotation into AI infrastructure. The Iran escalation is the highest-significance development, with cross-source corroboration from at least five independent streams. Narrative arc: ESCALATING.