{"id":59051,"date":"2026-02-24T14:38:31","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T18:38:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/hegseth-issues-friday-ultimatum-to-anthropic-iran-signals-return-to-nuclear-talks-in-geneva\/59051\/"},"modified":"2026-02-24T14:38:31","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T18:38:31","slug":"hegseth-issues-friday-ultimatum-to-anthropic-iran-signals-return-to-nuclear-talks-in-geneva","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/hegseth-issues-friday-ultimatum-to-anthropic-iran-signals-return-to-nuclear-talks-in-geneva\/59051\/","title":{"rendered":"Hegseth Issues Friday Ultimatum to Anthropic; Iran Signals Return to Nuclear Talks in Geneva"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/hegseth-issues-friday-ultimatum-to-anthropic-iran-signals-return-to-nuclear-talks-in-geneva\/59051\/#Key_Takeaways\" >Key Takeaways<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/hegseth-issues-friday-ultimatum-to-anthropic-iran-signals-return-to-nuclear-talks-in-geneva\/59051\/#AI_and_National_Security_Standoff\" >AI and National Security Standoff<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/hegseth-issues-friday-ultimatum-to-anthropic-iran-signals-return-to-nuclear-talks-in-geneva\/59051\/#Geopolitical_Shifts_and_Iran_Negotiations\" >Geopolitical Shifts and Iran Negotiations<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/hegseth-issues-friday-ultimatum-to-anthropic-iran-signals-return-to-nuclear-talks-in-geneva\/59051\/#Monetary_Policy_and_Global_Trade\" >Monetary Policy and Global Trade<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/hegseth-issues-friday-ultimatum-to-anthropic-iran-signals-return-to-nuclear-talks-in-geneva\/59051\/#Corporate_Legal_and_Energy_Outlook\" >Corporate Legal and Energy Outlook<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/hegseth-issues-friday-ultimatum-to-anthropic-iran-signals-return-to-nuclear-talks-in-geneva\/59051\/#Legal_and_Healthcare_Briefs\" >Legal and Healthcare Briefs<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Key_Takeaways\"><\/span>Key Takeaways<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth<\/strong> has given <strong>Anthropic<\/strong> until <strong>Friday<\/strong> to roll back AI safeguards or face a <strong>&quot;supply chain risk&quot;<\/strong> designation, which would effectively ban the company from all federal contracting.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Iran\u2019s Foreign Minister<\/strong> announced a return to negotiations with the U.S. in <strong>Geneva<\/strong>, aiming for a &quot;fair and equitable&quot; deal as <strong>CIA Director John Ratcliffe<\/strong> and <strong>Secretary of State Marco Rubio<\/strong> briefed the &quot;Gang of Eight.&quot;<\/li>\n<li><strong>SNB Chairman Martin Schlegel<\/strong> stated that <strong>temporary negative inflation<\/strong> is possible for several months but does not pose a mid-term alarm, even as <strong>one-third<\/strong> of Swiss firms remain unprepared for <strong>U.S. tariffs<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Occidental Petroleum (<a href=\"\/stock\/OXY\">OXY<\/a>)<\/strong> CEO Vicki Hollub signaled that while <strong>$60\u2013$65 oil<\/strong> sustains current output, a price of <strong>$70 per barrel<\/strong> is necessary to incentivize production growth.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Meta Platforms (<a href=\"\/stock\/META\">META<\/a>)<\/strong> successfully defended against an investor appeal, with the <strong>Ninth Circuit<\/strong> ruling the company is not liable for securities fraud related to <strong>Apple\u2019s<\/strong> privacy-driven advertising disruptions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"AI_and_National_Security_Standoff\"><\/span>AI and National Security Standoff<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth<\/strong> has intensified pressure on <strong>Anthropic<\/strong>, setting a <strong>Friday deadline<\/strong> for the AI startup to remove specific safeguards on its <strong>Claude<\/strong> models. The Pentagon is demanding &quot;all lawful use&quot; access, including for <strong>autonomous weapons<\/strong> and <strong>intelligence operations<\/strong>, which Anthropic has previously restricted. If the company does not comply, it faces a <strong>&quot;supply chain risk&quot;<\/strong> designation that would terminate its <strong>$200 million<\/strong> contract and force all other military contractors to sever ties with the firm.<\/p>\n<p><em>The ultimatum marks a significant escalation in the struggle between Silicon Valley safety protocols and national security requirements.<\/em> While competitors like OpenAI (<a href=\"\/stock\/MSFT\">MSFT<\/a>), Google (<a href=\"\/stock\/GOOGL\">GOOGL<\/a>), and xAI have reportedly agreed to fewer restrictions, Anthropic has held firm on &quot;red lines&quot; regarding mass surveillance and lethal autonomy. A supply chain ban could potentially derail Anthropic\u2019s rumored plans for an <strong>Initial Public Offering (IPO)<\/strong> later this year.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Geopolitical_Shifts_and_Iran_Negotiations\"><\/span>Geopolitical Shifts and Iran Negotiations<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Iran\u2019s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi<\/strong> confirmed Tuesday that Tehran will resume talks with the U.S. in <strong>Geneva<\/strong> to reach a deal &quot;as quickly as possible.&quot; The announcement follows reports that the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/thestockmarketwatch.com\/live\/trump-stock-market\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Trump\">Trump<\/a> administration<\/strong> is considering a &quot;stages&quot; agreement that would initially address nuclear enrichment before moving to ballistic missiles. <strong>CIA Director John Ratcliffe<\/strong> and <strong>Secretary of State Marco Rubio<\/strong> provided a classified 3 p.m. briefing to the <strong>Congressional &quot;Gang of Eight&quot;<\/strong> to discuss these developments.<\/p>\n<p><em>Market participants are closely watching the diplomatic pivot as a potential de-escalation of Middle East tensions.<\/em> Negotiators are expected to meet as early as Thursday to discuss a detailed Iranian proposal. U.S. officials have signaled that this diplomatic push may be the final opportunity for a peaceful resolution before the administration considers more aggressive military options.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Monetary_Policy_and_Global_Trade\"><\/span>Monetary Policy and Global Trade<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Swiss National Bank (SNB) Chairman Martin Schlegel<\/strong> addressed the impact of <strong>U.S. tariffs<\/strong>, noting that nearly <strong>33% of Swiss companies<\/strong> have taken no measures to counter the trade barriers. Despite the uncertainty, Schlegel downplayed concerns over <strong>negative inflation<\/strong>, calling it a temporary phenomenon that is not an &quot;alarm signal&quot; from a mid-term perspective. He expects Swiss inflation to rise in the coming months as the global economy adjusts to new trade architectures.<\/p>\n<p>In the U.S. bond market, the <strong>Treasury&#39;s 2-year note sale<\/strong> saw strong demand, with a <strong>high yield of 3.455%<\/strong>, down from the previous 3.580%. The <strong>bid-to-cover ratio reached 2.63<\/strong>, reflecting a slight decline in demand compared to the prior auction, though <strong>direct bidders<\/strong> increased their share to <strong>34.3%<\/strong>. Simultaneously, the <strong>Federal Reserve&#39;s reverse repo operation<\/strong> saw <strong>17 counterparties<\/strong> take <strong>$917 million<\/strong>, indicating stable liquidity levels in the overnight markets.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Corporate_Legal_and_Energy_Outlook\"><\/span>Corporate Legal and Energy Outlook<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Meta Platforms (<a href=\"\/stock\/META\">META<\/a>)<\/strong> won a critical victory in the <strong>U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit<\/strong>, which declined to revive a lawsuit alleging the company misled investors about the impact of <strong>Apple\u2019s (<a href=\"\/stock\/AAPL\">AAPL<\/a>)<\/strong> iOS privacy changes. The court ruled that investors failed to prove Meta executives intentionally deceived the market regarding the <strong>$10 billion<\/strong> revenue hit caused by the tracking restrictions.<\/p>\n<p>In the energy sector, <strong>Occidental Petroleum (<a href=\"\/stock\/OXY\">OXY<\/a>)<\/strong> CEO Vicki Hollub provided a &quot;sobering&quot; outlook for oil production. Hollub noted that while the <strong>Permian Basin<\/strong> remains resilient at <strong>$60\u2013$65 oil<\/strong>, the industry requires <strong>$70 oil<\/strong> to justify capital expenditure for growth. This comes as <strong>benchmark Brent crude<\/strong> has fallen roughly <strong>12.7%<\/strong> year-to-date, pressuring shale producers to focus on shareholder returns over expansion.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Legal_and_Healthcare_Briefs\"><\/span>Legal and Healthcare Briefs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Google (<a href=\"\/stock\/GOOGL\">GOOGL<\/a>)<\/strong> is facing a looming <strong>April 15 verdict<\/strong> in Sweden\u2019s Patent and Market Court regarding <strong>Klarna\u2019s $8.3 billion antitrust damages case<\/strong>. The lawsuit, filed by Klarna subsidiary <strong>PriceRunner<\/strong>, is the largest civil damages claim in Swedish history.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Lupin (<a href=\"\/stock\/LUPIN\">LUPIN<\/a>)<\/strong> announced the U.S. launch of <strong>Brivaracetam Oral Solution<\/strong> following FDA approval, targeting the epilepsy treatment market.<\/li>\n<li>The <strong>FDA<\/strong> also granted traditional approval to <strong>Encorafenib<\/strong> for the treatment of <strong>metastatic colorectal cancer<\/strong> with a BRAF V600E mutation, providing a new standard of care for specific patient populations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has given Anthropic until Friday to roll back AI safeguards or face a &quot;supply 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