Overview

• Israel launched airstrikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities, missile factories and senior commanders, prompting Iranian drone and missile counterattacks and vows of a “bitter and painful” response
• Bitcoin tumbled over 4% to about $104,000 while Ethereum sank nearly 9%, driving more than $1.1 billion in crypto liquidations across leveraged positions
• Gold surged to near two-month highs above $3,440 an ounce and the US dollar rallied over 0.6% against major currencies as investors sought stability
• Brent crude oil jumped roughly 7% to above $74 per barrel on fears that the escalating conflict could threaten global energy shipments and stoke inflation
• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other officials asserted no American role in the strikes as markets weighed the risk of a broader regional war and its policy implications