{"id":71966,"date":"2026-09-18T14:38:22","date_gmt":"2026-09-18T18:38:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/us-crude-oil-settles-lower-amid-escalating-iran-war-tensions-tech-leaders-set-for-trump-xi-summit\/71966\/"},"modified":"2026-09-18T14:38:22","modified_gmt":"2026-09-18T18:38:22","slug":"us-crude-oil-settles-lower-amid-escalating-iran-war-tensions-tech-leaders-set-for-trump-xi-summit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/us-crude-oil-settles-lower-amid-escalating-iran-war-tensions-tech-leaders-set-for-trump-xi-summit\/71966\/","title":{"rendered":"US Crude Oil Settles Lower Amid Escalating Iran War Tensions; Tech Leaders Set for Trump-Xi Summit"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>US <a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/energy\/crude-oil\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"12\" title=\"Crude oil\">Crude Oil<\/a> futures (WTI) settled at $100.30 per barrel<\/strong>, down <strong>1.58% ($1.61)<\/strong>, as markets balanced a global energy crisis against signs of easing supply disruptions in the Middle East.<\/li>\n<li><strong>A bombshell report reveals US troop deaths in the Iran War have exceeded official Pentagon disclosures<\/strong>, with at least <strong>22 to 23 fatalities<\/strong> recorded compared to the <strong>18<\/strong> publicly acknowledged.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Eli Lilly (<a href=\"\/stock\/LLY\">LLY<\/a>) secured FDA approval for its Inluriyo-Verzenio combination therapy<\/strong>, which doubled progression-free survival (PFS) to <strong>11.1 months<\/strong> for certain advanced breast cancer patients.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Anthropic is targeting 5GW of compute power by year-end<\/strong>, supported by massive infrastructure deals with Amazon (<a href=\"\/stock\/AMZN\">AMZN<\/a>) and Google (<a href=\"\/stock\/GOOGL\">GOOGL<\/a>) totaling over <strong>$65 billion<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Tech titans including <a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/stock\/NVDA\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"15\" title=\"stock: NVDA\">Nvidia<\/a>\u2019s (<a href=\"\/stock\/NVDA\">NVDA<\/a>) Jensen Huang and Apple\u2019s (<a href=\"\/stock\/AAPL\">AAPL<\/a>) Tim Cook<\/strong> are confirmed to attend a high-stakes state dinner hosted by President Trump for Chinese President Xi Jinping.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Energy Markets and Geopolitical Conflict<\/h2>\n<p><strong>US Crude Oil futures<\/strong> experienced a volatile session on Friday, ultimately settling at <strong>$100.30 per barrel<\/strong>. While prices remain elevated due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the <strong>1.58% decline<\/strong> reflects investor hopes that supply through the <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong> is stabilizing. Despite the daily dip, the broader energy market remains on edge as the <strong>U.S. naval blockade<\/strong> of Iranian ports continues to strain global distribution.<\/p>\n<p>In a significant development regarding the conflict, a report from <em>The Washington Post<\/em> indicates that the <strong>Pentagon has underreported American casualties<\/strong> in the Iran War. Internal data suggests at least <strong>four additional service member deaths<\/strong> beyond the 18 currently listed in the public Defense Casualty Analysis System. This news comes as hundreds of thousands of Iranians held massive rallies in Tehran, signaling a prolonged state of defiance against U.S. and Israeli operations.<\/p>\n<h2>Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Breakthroughs<\/h2>\n<p>Eli Lilly (<a href=\"\/stock\/LLY\">LLY<\/a>) achieved a major regulatory milestone as the <strong>FDA approved Inluriyo (imlunestrant)<\/strong> in combination with <strong>Verzenio<\/strong>. The treatment is designated for adults with <strong>ESR1-mutated advanced or metastatic breast cancer<\/strong>. Clinical data from the <strong>Phase 3 EMBER-3 trial<\/strong> showed the combination therapy significantly outperformed monotherapy, reducing the risk of disease progression by nearly half with a <strong>hazard ratio of 0.53<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>This marks the <strong>second FDA approval for Inluriyo in under a year<\/strong>, reinforcing Eli Lilly\u2019s (<a href=\"\/stock\/LLY\">LLY<\/a>) dominant position in oncology. The FDA also approved the <strong>Guardant360 CDx assay<\/strong> as a companion diagnostic to identify eligible patients, streamlining the path to treatment for those whose disease has progressed following standard endocrine therapy.<\/p>\n<h2>AI Infrastructure and Tech Diplomacy<\/h2>\n<p>The race for artificial intelligence supremacy reached new heights as <strong>Anthropic<\/strong> announced plans to amass <strong>5GW of compute power<\/strong> by the end of 2026. This massive expansion is fueled by a <strong>$25 billion commitment from Amazon (<a href=\"\/stock\/AMZN\">AMZN<\/a>)<\/strong> and a <strong>$40 billion deal with Google (<a href=\"\/stock\/GOOGL\">GOOGL<\/a>)<\/strong>. The company\u2019s run-rate revenue has reportedly surged to <strong>$30 billion<\/strong>, up from $9 billion at the end of last year, highlighting the exponential demand for enterprise AI.<\/p>\n<p>Simultaneously, the intersection of technology and global diplomacy will be on full display at an upcoming <strong>state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping<\/strong>. President Trump has invited the CEOs of <a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/stock\/NVDA\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"15\" title=\"stock: NVDA\">Nvidia<\/a> (<a href=\"\/stock\/NVDA\">NVDA<\/a>), Apple (<a href=\"\/stock\/AAPL\">AAPL<\/a>), and OpenAI to the event. The summit is expected to address critical issues including <strong>advanced semiconductor export controls<\/strong> and the establishment of international AI safety standards.<\/p>\n<h2>Global Economic Developments<\/h2>\n<p>In Europe, the <strong>German government<\/strong> moved to curb record-high energy costs by proposing a <strong>17 euro cent per litre reduction in gasoline taxes<\/strong>. The plan, which includes a <strong>\u20ac0.14 energy tax cut<\/strong> plus VAT adjustments, is slated to take effect as early as October 1. This intervention follows reports that diesel prices in Germany have hit a nationwide record of <strong>\u20ac2.471 per litre<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>In the M&amp;A sector, a consortium led by <strong>Advent International<\/strong> and FedEx (<a href=\"\/stock\/FDX\">FDX<\/a>) has successfully cleared the <strong>80% ownership threshold<\/strong> to acquire the Polish parcel locker giant <strong>InPost<\/strong>. The <strong>\u20ac7.8 billion all-cash deal<\/strong> values InPost at <strong>\u20ac15.60 per share<\/strong> and is expected to close in the second half of 2026, pending final regulatory clearance from Vietnam.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways US Crude Oil futures (WTI) settled at $100.30 per barrel, down 1.58% ($1.61), as markets balanced a global 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