Geopolitical tensions, including US-Iran conflicts and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, are driving oil prices past $100 per barrel and triggering stock market volatility, with the VIX fear index reflecting investor anxiety. Retail investors are buying oil in large quantities, and according to JPMorgan data, the US Oil Fund ETF (USO) recorded a single-day inflow record exceeding $30 million. Meanwhile, institutional investors liquidated $36.2 billion worth of S&P 500 index futures within a week, marking the largest single-week selloff in over a decade.