Overview
- U.S. Central Command said American forces shot down four Iranian one-way attack drones and struck a ground control station near Bandar Abbas on Thursday, calling the actions measured and defensive.
- Global markets moved quickly: Brent and WTI jumped more than 1 percent, Asian equity indexes slipped and U.S. futures lost ground as investors sought safer assets.
- Crypto markets fell sharply with bitcoin below recent highs and U.S. spot-Bitcoin ETFs recording roughly $733 million in net outflows on Wednesday, driven by large liquidations of leveraged long positions.
- Iranian state TV reported a draft deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz but the White House called that report a complete fabrication and President Donald Trump said Iran would not receive sanctions relief.
- The Strait of Hormuz handles about one-fifth of seaborne oil flows, so sustained or renewed disruptions raise shipping and insurance costs and could keep energy-driven inflation elevated, putting pressure on consumers and companies ahead of today’s U.S. PCE inflation release.