The Middle East conflict is not just geopolitical tension – it is a live stress test on the entire global energy system. Every spike in oil, every supply disruption, forces the same question back into focus: where does reliable energy actually come from when everything else becomes unpredictable? In this 13th episode of Markets and Leaders, host Lyndsay Malchuk sits down with Conor Lynch, founder of American Atomics, for a hard-hitting look at the hidden choke points in energy markets. They discuss why the Strait of Hormuz disruption is far from over, how 20% of Qatar’s LNG compressors were destroyed (with 3-5 year lead times), and why nuclear fuel supply chains – from yellow cake to HALEU – are now a strategic imperative. Conor explains the real bottleneck for AI data centers is not chips but power, the critical role of SMRs, and why the uranium long-term contract price has been rising for five straight years. He also breaks down the “chain reaction” of a full-scale Middle East escalation, a Western nuclear buildout under national security mandates, and what happens if AI energy demand doubles overnight. If you want to understand what the market is not pricing in, this is the conversation to watch.