[US Stock Market] U.S. military urges Iranian civilians to avoid the port of Hormuz, warning it as a potential attack target. Oil prices rise 4% (updating continuously)

U.S. Central Command issues a warning to Iranian civilians, stating that the Iranian regime is using civilian ports along the Strait of Hormuz for military operations, threatening international shipping, and becoming legitimate military targets under international law.

U.S. Central Command urges civilians within Iran to immediately avoid all ports with frequent Iranian Navy activity. Iranian dockworkers, administrative personnel, and merchant crew members should stay away from Iranian naval vessels and military equipment.

Iranian media reports that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued a statement claiming that the Mayuree Naree was attacked after “ignoring warnings from the IRGC Navy.” According to shipping website marinetraffic, the Mayuree Naree is currently in the Strait of Hormuz.

The Associated Press quotes a military spokesperson saying, “The policy of proportional retaliation has ended; from now on, our policy will be sustained strikes. No oil will pass through the Strait of Hormuz to benefit the U.S., Zionist regimes, and their partners.”

However, countries like Japan will release oil reserves. The International Energy Agency (IEA) issued a statement saying that its 32 member countries agreed on Wednesday (11th) to release 400 million barrels of oil from emergency reserves, the largest ever, to address the chaos in the oil market caused by the Middle East war.

International oil prices rose 4%, with New York crude futures at $86.41 per barrel and Brent crude at $91.1.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average once fell 412 points to 47,294, while the S&P 500 rose 0.1% to 6,787, and the Nasdaq increased 0.4% to 22,782.

U.S. February inflation data met expectations, with overall CPI rising 2.4% year-over-year and increasing 0.3% month-over-month, up 0.1 percentage points. Core CPI remained at 2.5% annually, with a monthly increase of 0.2%, down 0.1 percentage points. Notably, this does not yet reflect the impact of soaring international oil prices due to the Middle East conflict.

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Market Trends:

【21:30】Dow opens down 22 points at 47,683; Nasdaq up 0.3% at 22,765; S&P up 7 points at 6,788.

【19:04】Dow futures up 133 points; Nasdaq futures up 0.2%; S&P futures up 16 points.

【01:50】Dow futures up 121 points at 47,866; S&P futures up 18 points at 6,805; Nasdaq futures up 58 points or 0.2% at 25,041.

【12:47】【Iran Crisis】Oil prices rise; Fed stance shifts hawkish? US banks warn market may be misjudging the situation, with a significant rate cut still possible.

【10:48】【Iran Crisis】EIA forecasts Brent crude will stay above $95 for the next two months, expected to fall back to around $70 by year-end.

【09:53】NVIDIA partners with competitors of OpenAI, providing 1 gigawatt Vera Rubin chips to Thinking Machines.

【08:59】【Fed Chair】Senator Thom Tillis meets with Waller, reiterates that the DOJ will block nominations before concluding investigation of Powell.

【08:31】【Iran Crisis】IEA reportedly proposes releasing over 180 million barrels from reserves; oil prices turn from rising to falling.

【07:45】【AI & Defense】Anthropic states its AI tools are blacklisted, risking billions in losses.

【07:25】【AI & ORCL】Oracle beats earnings expectations, surges 8% after hours.

【06:26】【Iran Crisis】Iran plans to deploy water mines in the Strait of Hormuz; thousands in stock. Trump warns of unprecedented military consequences (ongoing updates).

$1 or less for March 10 U.S. stock market overview====

Tuesday: White House: U.S. did not escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz; Dow drops 34 points; oil prices narrow losses

Market focuses on latest developments in Middle East, oil prices remain soft, Dow turns lower. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright posted on social media that the U.S. Navy successfully escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz, but the post was soon deleted. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said the U.S. did not escort any ships.

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Iranian Revolutionary Guard responds, claiming the U.S. military escort story is a complete lie. Any actions by the U.S. and allies will be blocked within Iran’s missile and drone range.

Market hopes for an end to the U.S.-Iran conflict; NY crude settles at $83.45, down 11.94%; Brent drops 11.28%, at $87.8.

The Dow once surged 479 points but closed down 34 points at 47,706; S&P fell 0.21% to 6,636; Nasdaq down 1.5% to 22,061.

The Dow closed up 239 points at 47,740; S&P up 0.8% at 6,795; Nasdaq up 1.4% at 22,695.

Brent crude initially surged nearly 30%, approaching $120 per barrel. G7 finance ministers held an emergency meeting to discuss coordinated release of strategic petroleum reserves via IEA to counter the spike after Gulf tensions.

French Finance Minister Roland Lescure said the G7 has not yet decided on releasing emergency reserves post-U.S.-Israel war.

After the Brussels G7 finance ministers’ online meeting, Lescure told reporters, “Our consensus is to use all necessary means to stabilize the market, including possible reserve releases.” He added that governments are closely monitoring the situation, with no supply issues reported so far.

Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki said, “The IEA calls for coordinated release of oil reserves. Given current circumstances, the G7 agrees to continue closely monitoring energy markets and take necessary measures, including releasing reserves.” He also mentioned that OECD, World Bank, and IMF officials participated in the meeting. The G7 will soon hold a ministerial meeting on energy to discuss further steps.

As of 2022 data, IEA member countries’ emergency oil reserves under OECD control are estimated at over 1.2 billion barrels, mostly crude oil. IEA rules require all members to maintain emergency reserves equivalent to at least 90 days of net imports, sufficient to support at least three months of normal consumption.

Market stabilizes; US dollar index down 0.1% at 98.877; 10-year U.S. Treasury yields steady at 4.107%.

Gold prices narrowed their decline to 0.6%, at $5,138 per ounce; silver up 2.5% at $86.63.

U.S. military continues to demonstrate strength. According to BBC, U.S. B-52 and B-1 heavy bombers are stationed at Royal Air Force Fairford in the UK, with three B-52s landing in one day—the first appearance of B-52s in the UK since the conflict began.

B-52s are typical “forward-deployed” strategic bombers, signaling imminent large-scale air campaigns or escalation. As heavily armed “old yellow cows,” once enemy air defenses are weakened, they can deliver massive conventional ground-attack munitions, targeting infrastructure, industrial sites, or large ground forces for sustained destruction.

Additionally, U.S. markets enter daylight saving time, opening one hour earlier at 9:30 p.m. Hong Kong time.

Swiss bank UBS notes that the oil market has entered a panic state, with prices soaring into triple digits, mainly driven by market sentiment, as the conflict itself has not seen any substantial changes. So far, supply disruptions are mainly due to cautious ships avoiding the Strait of Hormuz, causing trade blockages rather than military blockades. However, this week and beyond, Middle Eastern oil supply could face up to 75% shutdown.

The bank says it will continue to monitor the situation closely. No significant damage to energy infrastructure has been reported; Iran’s military strength appears to be waning. Solutions to ensure shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remain feasible. Given the fog of war, they reaffirm a neutral stance on oil and natural gas, maintaining the expectation that energy prices will peak at current or slightly higher levels.

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Market Trends:

【18:20】U.S. stocks rebound; Micron up 2%; Dow up 101 points; Nasdaq up 0.3%; oil surges over 10%, breaching $100.

【12:07】Dow futures down 1,006 points; S&P futures down 130; Nasdaq futures down 542 points or 2.2%, at 24,127.

【12:07】【Iran Crisis】Iran conflict impacts financial markets; senior strategist Yardeni: probability of a market crash by year-end rises to 35%.

【11:15】【Tencent】Reportedly plans to acquire Warner Bros. via Paramount, investing hundreds of millions.

【10:33】【Iran Crisis】Oil surges past $100, NY crude up 30%, with major Middle Eastern producers cutting output.

【10:20】【Iran Crisis】Oil prices spike, dragging down Asia-Pacific markets; Japan and Korea fall over 7%; South Korea considers oil price cap measures.

【09:56】【Iran Crisis】JPMorgan estimates Middle Eastern oil capacity may decrease by 4 million barrels daily by next weekend.

【09:50】【Iran Crisis】Schroders’ Alex Tedder: Oil may hit $100; “I won’t reduce energy stocks in next 2-3 years.”

【08:17】【Iran Crisis】Gold drops over 2%, testing $5,000; oil prices surge, fueling inflation fears.

【07:30】【Iran Crisis】Black Monday begins; oil up 20%, nearing $111; Trump: small cost; Dow futures plunge 1,112 points (ongoing updates).

【07:30】【Global Outlook】Focus on Middle East conflict and U.S. inflation data; U.S. markets open an hour earlier at 9:30 p.m. HK time.

【07:30】Concerns over oil supply disruptions and worse-than-expected U.S. jobs data caused a major sell-off last Friday; Dow once fell 945 points to 47,009; VIX spiked 21.6% to 28.88; Dow closed down 453 points, S&P down 1.33%, Nasdaq down 1.59%.

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Last week’s U.S. market activity, details at: 【U.S. Market Close】 Iran fires missiles at “Lincoln,” Brent exceeds $92, weak jobs report causes Dow to fall 453 points, Nasdaq down 1.6%.