US-Israel Strikes Iran, Rattling Global Markets

The United States and Israel launched military strikes against Iran, triggering immediate and widespread reactions across global financial markets. Asian stock markets, including the Nikkei 225 and S&P/ASX 200, opened lower, and U.S. futures for indices like the S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average, and Nasdaq Composite also declined. The primary concern for traders was the potential disruption of oil supplies from Iran and the broader Middle East, particularly through the Strait of Hormuz, leading to a sharp increase in Petroleum and Brent Crude prices. Conversely, safe-haven assets such as Gold and Silver saw significant price increases. The attacks, though anticipated due to a U.S. military buildup, added to existing market fragility, which was already impacted by higher-than-expected U.S. wholesale inflation, potentially influencing the United States===Federal Reserve's interest rate policy.