As the conflict between the United States and Iran approaches its two-month mark, financial markets are still grappling with the implications. The ceasefire currently in place –conditional on reopening the Strait of Hormuz to enable negotiations– has reduced immediate tail risks, but it has not resolved the underlying standoff. The US agenda remains focused on curbing Iran’s support for regional proxy forces, imposing restrictions on nuclear enrichment, and securing control over already enriched uranium. Iran’s aims are more existential: regime survival, the unfreezing of foreign-held assets, and a lifting of ... (full story)