Iran
Switzerland risks the ire of the White House as it flags potential currency intervention
Swiss officials say the Iran war is making them more willing to intervene against any significant appreciation in the country’s currency, but doing so risks another dispute with the White House. The Swiss National Bank announced on Thursday that, as expected, it was holding its key interest rate at 0%. But its policymakers said: “Given […]
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Gulf states have tolerated Iranian strikes so far — but their ‘defensive’ stance won’t last forever
Fire and plumes of smoke rise from an oil facility in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, Saturday, March 14, 2026. Altaf Qadri | AP Iran’s strikes are pushing Gulf states toward a breaking point, forcing a choice between restraint and retaliation. Iran’s Gulf neighbors have been repeatedly targeted and hit by Iranian drones and missiles as […]
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Hegseth says potential $200 billion Iran war spending request could shift: ‘Takes money to kill bad guys’
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on March 19, 2026. Mandel Ngan | Afp | Getty Images Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday that the Pentagon’s reported $200 billion budget request for Iran war funding “could move.” “It takes money to kill bad guys,” […]
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Gold and silver sell-off accelerates as inflation fears grip global markets
Gold and silver joined a broad sell-off on Thursday, with the metals shedding around 5% and 10%, respectively, as fears about the Iran war and inflation gripped global markets. At 8:43 a.m. ET, spot gold was down 4.9% at just over $4,600 an ounce. Front-month gold futures were down 5.8% at $4,612. Stock Chart IconStock […]
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European stocks tumble 2% as Iran war intensifies; miners lead losses
Vadimrysev | Istock | Getty Images LONDON — European stocks slumped on Thursday as the Iran war escalated further following attacks on Iranian and Qatari energy infrastructure. The pan-European Stoxx 600 was down 2.1% as of 12:10 p.m. in London (8:10 a.m. ET), with all major bourses in negative territory and all sectors except for […]
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Europe’s central banks are no longer in a ‘good place’ as Iran war upends forecasts
A projection of a Euro currency sign is pictured on the facade of the European Central Bank (ECB) headquarters in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany, on Dec. 30, 2025. Kirill Kudryavtsev | Afp | Getty Images Before the war on Iran began in late February, Europe’s central banks enjoyed a more benign inflation outlook as […]
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Gulf airlines are burning through serious cash as airport, safety picture stays patchy: Analyst
ShareShare Article via FacebookShare Article via TwitterShare Article via LinkedInShare Article via Email Aviation analyst Alex Macheras says disruption in the Gulf has far-reaching financial implications as the region handles 10% of global international passengers. He discusses how airports in Doha, Dubai and Abu Dhabi collectively handle up to 500,000 passengers daily at peak seasons […]
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Asia tech stocks sink as oil spike and Qatar attacks threaten chip supply chain
Images of mobile devices at the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) Museum of Innovation in Hsinchu, on Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022. I-Hwa Cheng | Bloomberg | Getty Images Asian technology stocks fell on Thursday as Iran’s latest attacks on Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City and a surge in oil prices rattled investor sentiment, amplifying concerns […]
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Trump warns to ‘blow up’ South Pars gas field in Iran if strikes against Qatar energy continue
An Iranian security personnel monitors an area in phase 19 of the South Pars gas field in Assalooyeh on Iran’s Persian Gulf coast 1,400 km (870 miles) south of Tehran on August 23, 2016. Morteza Nikoubazl | Nurphoto | Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday stateside warned that if Iran continued targeting Qatar’s […]
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Chip buyers in Europe are paying more and tapping backup stores as Iran war hits air freight
European companies that import semiconductors from Asia are tapping into backup stores and paying more for deliveries as the Iran war causes disruption to air freight routes through the Middle East, industry insiders have told CNBC. The Iran war has caused turmoil to cargo routes as shipping and airports have been targeted since the war […]
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