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The assassination attempts by the US against senior Iranian officials failed to soften the other side and instead gave rise to a more hardline Iranian regime. Control of the Strait of Hormuz has become a key focus of negotiations. Trump has threatened to intensify strikes against Iran; however, the chances of a breakthrough in the talks remain slim.

Iran continues to launch munitions at Middle Eastern targets, turning the overseas assets of American tech giants from potential threats into actual losses.
According to CNBC, on April 4 local time, the Dubai government media office in the UAE posted on X confirming that Oracle’s office building outside Dubai Internet City was hit by debris. The debris came from a missile interception by the air defense system.
The Dubai media office stated, "This incident is a minor accident with no casualties." Oracle did not respond to requests for comment. An on-site reporter reported hearing multiple interception sounds that evening.
Previously, according to Xinhua News Agency, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran announced on March 31 that it has targeted companies and institutions related to 18 U.S. information communication technology and artificial intelligence firms in the Middle East, including Hewlett-Packard, Apple, Google, Tesla, Microsoft, and others.
Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

The finance ministers of five countries have written to the European Commission, calling for a tax on excessive profits of energy companies. Due to the Iran conflict causing oil prices to rise, corporate profits have surged, while ordinary consumers are bearing increased costs. France also expressed support, demonstrating a united front within the EU to pressure the Commission and push for a windfall tax policy.

The March US employment data seems to have boosted market confidence, but the decline in the unemployment rate is mainly due to nearly 400k people exiting the labor force. Despite hiring and layoffs remaining low, the labor force participation rate has fallen to a near five-year low, and wage growth has slowed. The war has impacted global energy supplies, putting pressure on consumers. Additionally, the Federal Reserve faces a dilemma between high inflation and employment stability, making the economic outlook increasingly uncertain.

A $2 billion capital increase behind Marvell is a signal of the AI world power map and the interconnect revolution.
$2 billion is not just a simple capital injection; it is a milestone marking the AI industry’s leap from the “computing power era” to the “interconnection and reasoning era.” Nvidia’s strategic intent is to lock in non-GPU bottleneck resources in AI data centers—especially customized ASICs, optical interconnects (Silicon Photonics), and the extension of the NVLink ecosystem. Building an even safer moat for the Empire to prevent disruptors from quietly emerging.
One article to understand the industry’s development progress and future blueprint.

U.S. intelligence assessments believe that Iran is unlikely to open the Strait of Hormuz in the short term, as they see it as a key bargaining chip against the United States. Blocking the strait would drive up international oil prices, increase U.S. inflation pressures, and pose political risks for Trump. Experts warn that using force to open the strait would be costly, and even after the war ends, Iran might continue to control the passage rights to gain benefits.

More than a month after the outbreak of the U.S.-Iran war between the United States and Israel, there have been clear signs that the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is loosening.
According to CCTV News, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines of Japan said that one of its affiliated liquefied petroleum gas vessels has passed through the Strait of Hormuz before April 4, Japan time. It is reported that this is the second Japan-related vessel to leave the Gulf since the Strait of Hormuz was effectively blocked.
According to a previous article by Wall Street, a French container ship, the CMA CGM Kribi, sailed out of the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, becoming the first known vessel with links to Western Europe to complete passage since the outbreak of the war. Prior to that, three Omani vessels successfully passed through the strait by taking the “Southern Route.”
Turkey has also released a clearer signal of “restored passage.” CCTV News quoted Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu as saying that the second Turkish ship has successfully passed through the strait in recent days.

April 2, 2026, marks the one-year anniversary of "Liberation Day." The White House issued two presidential proclamations in quick succession, one targeting metals and the other targeting pharmaceuticals.
This is not a routine policy tweak—it's a brand-new "tariff feast" launched by the Trump team after the Supreme Court ruled in February that IEEPA tariffs are unconstitutional.
Understanding who these two cuts are aimed at, how deep they go, and how long they can last is more important than any specific tariff rate number.

Israel and the U.S. conduct airstrikes on Iran's Petrochemical Zone; Iran: Oil exports have increased
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A reporter from the China Central Television (CCTV) learned on the morning of the 4th local time that a few explosions occurred at the Mahshahr Petrochemical Zone in southwestern Iran, with thick smoke billowing from some areas. The exact location of the explosions and the extent of the damage are currently unable to be accurately assessed.
The Deputy Director of Security and Law Enforcement in Khuzestan Province, Iran, stated that during the enemy airstrikes on the Mahshahr Petrochemical Zone, facilities including Fajr 1 and 2, Rejal, and Amir Kabir Petrochemical Companies were attacked. There is a high possibility of casualties resulting from this attack.
According to Iranian media reports, the U.S. and Israel's attacks on Iran's Mahshahr Petrochemical Economic Zone have injured at least 5 people. The Mahshahr Petrochemical Economic Zone Administration stated today (April 4) that all personnel at active industrial units within the zone have been evacuated.
It is worth noting that the United States

A power struggle has taken place within the Pentagon. The Secretary of Defense, Hagel, purged senior Army officials due to concerns that Army Secretary Driscoll might replace him, resulting in the removal of several generals. This move has triggered worries about its impact on the Trump administration and the progress of the war, with internal power struggles intensifying and the risks increasing.

OpenAI experiences executive changes at a critical IPO moment, with COO Brad Lightcap transitioning to a new role, CMO Kate Rouch leaving due to health reasons, and AGI head Simo taking sick leave. The company stated it will maintain operational continuity and actively expand its business to cope with competitive pressures.

By 2026, memory expenditure is expected to account for 30% of capital spending in hyperscale data centers. DRAM and HBM prices will rise significantly, impacting AI server costs. Nvidia has reduced its own costs through procurement advantages, while AMD faces greater pressure. The industry has not yet fully reflected future price changes.

Hamza Lemssouguer declined the invitation from hedge fund giant Ken Griffin, and founded Arini Capital, which quickly grew into a credit hedge fund managing over $20 billion. Although his short-selling strategies have been repeatedly successful, his aggressive style has also sparked controversy and criticism. Lemssouguer emphasizes his contrarian investment approach and risk management capabilities, and employs team-based risk mitigation strategies to cope with market volatility. In the face of skepticism, he maintains an unconventional attitude and continues to pursue a unique investment philosophy.

A suspected leaked OpenAI equity structure chart reveals the company's shareholders, with Microsoft as the largest shareholder holding 26.79%. CEO Sam Altman does not hold any shares, and the market is focused on the IPO prospects. Among the investors, Microsoft has the highest returns, followed by SoftBank, while NVIDIA has a slight loss. The investment by venture capital firm Sound Ventures has also sparked discussion.

Tech giants face legal challenges, with Meta and Google losing jury trials and paying a total of approximately $400 million in damages. The plaintiffs' lawyers are attempting to bypass Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act by focusing on product design to challenge AI-generated content. Legal reform is urgently needed, but congressional action is difficult. Future cases may be appealed to the Supreme Court, potentially affecting the legal protections of tech platforms.

Anthropic has adjusted Claude's subscription policy. Starting April 4th, Claude's subscription quota will no longer include third-party tools like OpenClaw, and users will need to pay extra. This move has sparked some user dissatisfaction, with concerns about increased usage costs. Anthropic stated that this policy is intended to better manage resources while encouraging users to switch to its proprietary tools.

Vietnam's GDP growth rate in the first quarter was 7.83%, lower than the previous quarter but higher than expected. Manufacturing and exports continue to drive economic growth. The Middle East conflict affects energy supply and prices; the government has taken measures to stabilize fuel supply and promote energy transition. Public investment plans are accelerating, aiming to achieve a sustained growth target of 10%.

From the pre-war night clearing of the scene and plotting in secret, to post-war polling sounding the alarm and oil prices soaring, Time magazine’s latest disclosure has revealed a series of previously unknown internal White House details.
As disclosed, multiple senior White House officials, members of Congress, and insiders have reconstructed many behind-the-scenes details of the decision-making process before the war and the current predicament.
On the night before the war, Trump deliberately cleared the scene and fabricated false intelligence to mislead the leaker; Vice President Vance was the most strongly opposing voice inside. And as oil prices continued to surge, the White House chief of staff had already realized that “the situation may be getting out of control.” She was worried that, with the president spending each day immersed in watching “battlefield victory highlight videos,” he was being blinded by one-sided information, and she was actively urging her colleagues to “be more candid in explaining the real battlefield situation to Trump.”
In addition, the Secretary of Defense was “caught off guard” by the scale of regional counterattacks. His feeling was: “Wow, we really got ourselves into this.””
And currently, about five weeks after the outbreak of the war in Iran, the Trump administration is facing mounting