{"id":62077,"date":"2026-05-18T15:38:27","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T19:38:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/geopolitical-volatility-drives-oil-prices-higher-as-trump-halts-iran-strike-nvidia-ceo-forecasts-global-ai-infrastructure-expansion\/62077\/"},"modified":"2026-05-18T15:38:27","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T19:38:27","slug":"geopolitical-volatility-drives-oil-prices-higher-as-trump-halts-iran-strike-nvidia-ceo-forecasts-global-ai-infrastructure-expansion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/geopolitical-volatility-drives-oil-prices-higher-as-trump-halts-iran-strike-nvidia-ceo-forecasts-global-ai-infrastructure-expansion\/62077\/","title":{"rendered":"Geopolitical Volatility Drives Oil Prices Higher as Trump Halts Iran Strike; NVIDIA CEO Forecasts Global AI Infrastructure Expansion"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>US President Trump<\/strong> halted a planned military strike on <strong>Iran<\/strong> following appeals from Gulf allies, though he warned the military remains ready for a &quot;large-scale assault&quot; if negotiations fail.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Crude oil prices<\/strong> surged over <strong>3%<\/strong>, with <strong>Brent<\/strong> closing at <strong>$112.10<\/strong> and <strong>WTI<\/strong> at <strong>$108.66<\/strong>, as Middle East tensions and the closure of the <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong> tighten global supplies.<\/li>\n<li><strong>NVIDIA (<a href=\"\/stock\/NVDA\">NVDA<\/a>)<\/strong> CEO <strong>Jensen Huang<\/strong> predicted a decade-long infrastructure buildout to meet AI demand, noting that manufacturing must expand beyond <strong>Taiwan<\/strong> to ensure supply chain resilience.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Iran<\/strong> activated air defense systems on <strong>Qeshm Island<\/strong> and issued warnings that removing enriched uranium would leave the country vulnerable to nuclear attack.<\/li>\n<li>The <strong>US State Department<\/strong> approved a <strong>$230 million<\/strong> sale of <strong>M777A2<\/strong> ultra-light howitzers to <strong>India<\/strong>, aimed at bolstering defense interoperability in the region.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>US President Donald Trump<\/strong> announced Monday that he has halted a scheduled military strike against <strong>Iran<\/strong> following direct appeals from the leaders of <strong>Qatar<\/strong>, <strong>Saudi Arabia<\/strong>, and the <strong>UAE<\/strong>. The President stated on social media that these allies believe a &quot;very acceptable&quot; deal is within reach, which would include a permanent ban on <strong>Iranian nuclear weapons<\/strong>. Despite the pause, Trump cautioned that the <strong>US military<\/strong> remains prepared for a full-scale assault at a &quot;moment&#39;s notice&quot; should diplomatic efforts collapse.<\/p>\n<p>The geopolitical reprieve comes as <strong>Iran<\/strong> remains in a state of high alert, with <strong>Mehr News Agency<\/strong> reporting the activation of air defense systems on <strong>Qeshm Island<\/strong> near the strategic <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong>. Iranian lawmakers, including <strong>Ali Khodrian<\/strong>, have intensified their rhetoric, warning that any removal of enriched uranium from the country would expose <strong>Iran<\/strong> to the risk of a nuclear attack. <em>Market analysts suggest that while the strike was halted, the underlying &quot;re-escalation risks&quot; continue to keep investors on edge.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Energy markets reacted sharply to the ongoing instability, with <strong>Brent Crude<\/strong> futures closing up <strong>2.6%<\/strong> at <strong>$112.10 per barrel<\/strong>. <strong>US Crude (WTI)<\/strong> futures saw an even steeper climb, rising <strong>3.07%<\/strong> to settle at <strong>$108.66 per barrel<\/strong>. The rally is being driven by fears of a prolonged blockade of the <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong>, which has significantly tightened global oil inventories and pushed prices to their highest levels in months.<\/p>\n<p>In the technology sector, <strong>NVIDIA (<a href=\"\/stock\/NVDA\">NVDA<\/a>)<\/strong> CEO <strong>Jensen Huang<\/strong> addressed the global AI boom, describing it as the &quot;largest infrastructure buildout in human history.&quot; Speaking at an event in <strong>San Francisco<\/strong>, Huang emphasized that the scale of demand will require chip manufacturing to expand beyond <strong>Taiwan<\/strong>. He also expressed optimism that the <strong>China<\/strong> market will become more open over time, though he noted that <strong>Chinese officials<\/strong> have yet to approve the sale of <strong>H200 chips<\/strong> to domestic firms.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Huang<\/strong> further highlighted that <strong>memory demand<\/strong> is currently outstripping global capacity, a trend he expects to persist as companies and governments invest trillions into AI data centers. <em>The semiconductor industry is increasingly focused on supply chain resilience as geopolitical tensions threaten traditional manufacturing hubs.<\/em> Meanwhile, the <strong>White House<\/strong> is reportedly reviewing a ban on the &quot;trade-through&quot; rule to ensure investors receive the best possible prices on stock trades, signaling potential regulatory shifts in equity markets.<\/p>\n<p>In defense news, the <strong>US State Department<\/strong> has cleared a potential <strong>$230 million<\/strong> sale of <strong>M777A2<\/strong> ultra-light howitzers to <strong>India<\/strong>. This deal is intended to enhance the <strong>Indian Army&#39;s<\/strong> indirect fire capabilities and improve interoperability with <strong>US forces<\/strong>. The move underscores the deepening strategic partnership between <strong>Washington<\/strong> and <strong>New Delhi<\/strong> as both nations look to stabilize the regional security environment amid broader global uncertainty.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways US President Trump halted a planned military strike on Iran following appeals from Gulf allies, though he warned 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