Surged by 24%! The panic index just skyrocketed! The US military's third aircraft carrier deployed! Iran: Hit the "THAAD" missile defense system

Iran Situation, New Developments!

On March 7, according to Xinhua News Agency citing Iran’s Tasnim News Agency, the radar system of the U.S. military’s THAAD missile defense system deployed in Jordan was hit and destroyed by Iranian missiles.

Additionally, CCTV News reports that the U.S. Navy’s third aircraft carrier strike group is reportedly preparing to deploy to the Middle East. Furthermore, U.S. sources indicate that President Trump privately expressed strong interest in deploying ground troops inside Iran.

Amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, the fear gauge VIX surged 24% on Friday to its highest level since April last year. Investors are urgently buying protective measures to guard against further declines in U.S. stocks.

Here are the detailed reports!

U.S. Aircraft Carriers Make New Moves

According to CCTV News citing foreign media reports, on March 6 local time, it was reported that the U.S. Navy’s third carrier strike group, led by the USS George H.W. Bush, is preparing to deploy “soon” to the Middle East. The specific timing and duration of deployment have not been announced.

Additionally, U.S. sources say that Trump privately expressed strong interest in deploying U.S. ground forces inside Iran.

Sources say Trump discussed the idea of deploying ground troops to Iran with aides and Republican officials. He showed strong interest, but the focus of the plan is not on a large-scale invasion, rather on sending a small force to achieve specific strategic objectives.

The sources also stated that Trump has not made any decisions or issued any orders regarding ground forces.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre issued a statement saying these sources are not members of the U.S. President’s national security team.

On March 6, U.S. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at a briefing, “The United States is steadily advancing the process of controlling Iranian airspace, and the goals achievable by the U.S. are expected to be completed within four to six weeks.”

Earlier that day, Trump posted on social media that, aside from “unconditional surrender,” the U.S. would not reach any agreement with Iran. Jean-Pierre explained that “unconditional surrender” means that once the U.S. determines Iran no longer poses a threat and all military objectives are achieved, Iran will be effectively in a state of “unconditional surrender,” regardless of whether Iran publicly states so.

On March 6, the U.S. State Department announced approval of a $151.8 million arms sale and related support services to Israel.

In a statement, the State Department said Israel requested to purchase 12,000 BLU-110A/B general-purpose bombs. Secretary of State Blinken deemed an “emergency” situation, thus bypassing Congress to immediately complete the sale.

Iran: Hit on “THAAD” Missile Defense System

According to Xinhua News Agency, on March 7, Iran’s Tasnim News Agency reported that the radar system of the U.S. military’s THAAD missile defense system deployed in Jordan was hit and destroyed by Iranian missiles. The report included a photo showing damaged military equipment.

Additionally, CNN reported on March 6 that since the large-scale attack launched by the U.S. and Israel on Iran on February 28, satellite images confirm that five locations with radar systems in the Middle East have been targeted by Iran.

CNN published several satellite images showing the attacked radar systems located in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, and two sites in the UAE.

According to Tasnim News Agency on the evening of March 6, Iran’s military stated that Iranian missile forces launched missiles at the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Lincoln that night.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on March 6 that they continued executing a series of military strikes codenamed “True Promise-4,” initiating the 24th wave of attacks targeting Israeli and U.S. military-related targets with long-range strikes.

The IRGC statement cited by Iran’s Islamic Republic News Agency said the 24th wave was launched immediately after the previous strikes, with missile launches and drone attacks covering multiple military targets. Three missiles fired at Tel Aviv, Israel, all hit their intended targets. The operation was successful, and key enemy targets were effectively suppressed.

The report also mentioned that during the 23rd wave, Iran’s IRGC used new-generation solid and liquid-fuel missiles to strike U.S. and Israeli military bases across the Middle East, as well as advanced technology centers, cybersecurity centers, and military support centers in Beersheba, southern Israel.

VIX Surges 24% Amid Panic

The escalation in Middle East tensions has caused energy prices to soar, dampening the Federal Reserve’s rate cut expectations. On Friday, the Chicago Board Options Exchange Volatility Index (VIX) jumped to its highest level since April last year. Investors rushed to buy protective options to hedge against further declines in U.S. stocks.

That day, the VIX rose to 29.49 points, up 24%. For most of this year, the index has remained below the 30-year average of 20.

Before the U.S. attack on Iran last weekend, activity in stock options for hedging was already high. But with the conflict pushing oil prices higher this week, implied volatility hit new highs.

Chris Murphy, Co-Head of Derivatives Strategy at Citigroup, said, “The VIX surged sharply at the close, ending at its highest level since early April 2025, as investors rushed to bet on volatility before the weekend.”

Eddie T. from CBOE Global Markets said that increased directional uncertainty drove the VIX higher.

The VIX measures the expected volatility of the S&P 500 over the next month based on options pricing, with daily trading volume exceeding $1 trillion in nominal value.

According to Tom from CBOE, the Friday 6 p.m. surge in VIX was driven by three main factors: about one-third of the increase was due to the 1.4% decline in the S&P 500; another part was from pessimistic market positioning, with investors buying downside protection and selling upside calls; the remaining increase reflected heightened uncertainty about future market direction, as evidenced by a sharp rise in the Chicago VIX Volatility Index (VVIX), which measures the volatility of volatility itself.

On Friday, VVIX rose nearly 25 points to 140, reaching its highest level since April 11, 2025.

(Article source: Securities Times)