The United States handed Iran the 15-point peace plan, and the Iranian military asked: Are you negotiating with yourselves? On the same day, AI was officially integrated into America’s war machine.
1 | US submits surrender list, Iran says you’re negotiating with yourselves
Pakistan delivered the US-drafted 15-point peace plan to Tehran. After the plan was disclosed by The Wall Street Journal, Brent crude oil briefly fell below $100, and Asian stock markets rallied collectively. But the optimism didn’t last beyond one trading day.
All 15 points target Iran’s core strategic assets: dismantling three nuclear facilities, halting uranium enrichment, suspending missile programs, reducing support to regional allies, and fully opening the Strait of Hormuz. The exchange conditions are sanctions relief and civilian nuclear assistance. This isn’t a negotiation opening offer but a surrender list.
Iranian military spokesperson Zolfaqar Ghalib sarcastically said: “Are you negotiating with yourselves?” The Pakistani ambassador confirmed no negotiations have taken place so far. However, Tehran announced on the same day that “non-hostile” ships are allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a small signal of easing while rejecting negotiations. The IEA confirmed that the Hormuz crisis has caused global oil production cuts of about 8 million barrels per day. Goldman Sachs also raised the US recession probability to 30%, expecting Brent crude to average $115 in April.
(Source: Al Jazeera / Time / France 24 / WSJ / Goldman Sachs / IEA)
2 | Golden Dome $185 billion, AI integrated into the war machine
The morning report noted that the Pentagon blacklisted Anthropic and simultaneously increased Palantir’s budget by 28 times. The evening signals pushed this line into a new phase. (Continued from earlier report)
Anduril and Palantir are jointly developing the core software for the Golden Dome missile defense system. The project budget is $185 billion, with an additional $10 billion added last week. The software connects radar, satellite, and sensor networks to detect ballistic, cruise, and hypersonic missiles in real time, while controlling interception weapons. SpaceX is responsible for space-based components, with Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and Northrop Grumman already locked in as contractors.
Palantir CTO Sankar told Bloomberg TV that the Iran war will be remembered as the first large-scale conflict driven by AI. The Maven system can complete 2,000 target identifications and plan generations within 48 hours, integrating satellite, drone, radar, and signals intelligence, semi-autonomously generating legal justifications for each strike. AI is no longer just an auxiliary tool; it is the infrastructure itself.
(Source: Reuters / WSJ / Bloomberg / Democracy Now / MIT Technology Review)
3 | China is being bet on as the “big winner” in the AI race
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said last week in an interview with CNBC that OpenClaw is the “next ChatGPT.” Within hours of the news reaching Hong Kong, stocks of MiniMax and Zhipu AI surged over 20%.
Fortune provided some structural numbers: by 2030, China will have about 400 gigawatts of idle electricity, three times the global data center demand. Western provinces have electricity prices as low as 5 cents per kWh, compared to 40 cents in some US regions. Power accounts for about 35% of inference costs; under similar computing power, China’s operating costs are less than one-eighth of the US. Jefferies strategists are reducing US tech stock exposure partly due to the electricity advantage.
(Source: Fortune / Bloomberg / CNBC / 36Kr)
4 | SpaceX may file for IPO this week, valuation $1.75 trillion
The Information reports that SpaceX is expected to submit its IPO prospectus to US regulators as early as this week. If true, this would be the largest IPO in human history. The target fundraising exceeds $75 billion, more than double the 2019 Saudi Aramco record of $29.4 billion. The listing valuation could surpass $1.75 trillion, with a tentative public offering in June.
This is not just a rocket company going public. In February 2026, SpaceX acquired Elon Musk’s AI company xAI through a full stock merger, with a valuation of about $1.25 trillion. IPO investors will get exposure not only to Starlink and Falcon 9 but also to the Grok large model and xAI’s computing clusters. Retail investors might receive over 20% of the shares.
In the same week that Arm develops its own chips and OpenAI prepares for a transition to an IPO, SpaceX chose this timing to go public. Upstream players in the AI industry are rushing into the public markets, locking in valuation windows before Iran conflicts and recession expectations worsen further.
(Source: The Information / Bloomberg)
Also worth knowing ↓
JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon said at the Hill & Valley Forum, “We have become Europe.” He criticized the rigidity of US defense procurement and budgeting systems, saying congressional intervention and compliance procedures prevent the Pentagon from adjusting flexibly. He also expressed a rare positive view on the Iran conflict, believing that Gulf countries now realize “they can’t let neighbors launch ballistic missiles at data centers,” which increases the chances for lasting peace. (Sources: Fortune / CNBC)
Axios found a trend of “suspicious trading patterns” around major Trump decisions. Unusual trading activity occurs hours before each major market shock. The $580 million futures trade mentioned in the morning report is just the latest example; while ordinary Americans suffer from soaring oil prices, a few seem to profit openly. (Sources: Axios)
Ben Thompson of Stratechery published an S-level analysis, deeply dissecting the motivations and constraints behind Arm’s in-house chip development. This is the most authoritative supplement to the early report on Arm’s major event, suggesting Arm’s choices stem from systemic evolution in computing architecture rather than simple competitive strategy. (Sources: Stratechery)
Amazon acquired Fauna Robotics, a startup making children-sized humanoid robots, marking its second robotics acquisition this month. On the same day, Google announced a partnership with Agile Robots to expand AI robotics deployment, accelerating the arms race in embodied intelligence. (Sources: TechCrunch / CNBC)
A New Mexico jury delivered the first verdict in a child safety case against Meta. The amount is not the focus; the precedent is. It’s the first time in US history that a jury has found Meta liable in such a case, attracting attention from multiple states. (Sources: TechCrunch)
Apple is testing a standalone Siri app and a new “Ask Siri” feature, scheduled to launch with iOS 27 at WWDC on June 8. Siri will get a new chat-like interface, marking Apple’s biggest AI strategic reboot. (Sources: 36Kr / Bloomberg)
Block CFO said large-scale layoffs caused by AI are “inevitable” for companies. Following four billionaires speaking out on the same day, another industry executive used the word “inevitability,” indicating that AI employment narratives are shifting from prediction to consensus. (Sources: WSJ)
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