US Pauses Iran Strikes as Oman Pursues Hormuz Transit Deal

The U.S. decision to pause military strikes on Iran has accelerated Oman's efforts to secure a transit deal for the Hormuz Strait. This development is seen as a signal of China's growing strategic influence in the region. China's attempts to import rare earth elements from Iran could intensify U.S. economic pressures on China. This situation is reshaping cost structures for chipmakers like Nvidia and TSMC. Delays in ASML's new EUV machine deliveries to China are being viewed as a reaction to these tensions. Markets are closely monitoring how regional instability could impact the chip supply chain.