Global stocks ended lower Tuesday amid heightened volatility as fears over the escalating Middle East conflict weighed on investor sentiment. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 404 points, or 0.83%, after briefly losing over 1,200 points earlier in the session. The S&P 500 fell 0.94%, while the Nasdaq Composite dropped 1.02%, recovering some ground from earlier declines of nearly 2.5% and 2.75%, respectively. The VIX, Wall Street’s fear gauge, surged 10% to its highest level in more than three months, reflecting growing uncertainty. European and Asian markets also faced declines, with the Stoxx 600 index falling 3.08% and Japan’s Nikkei 225 dropping 3.06%. South Korea’s Kospi index plummeted 7.24%, marking its worst single-day performance since April. Markets in South Korea were closed Monday due to a public holiday. President Donald Trump addressed concerns over the conflict, stating in a letter to Senator Chuck Grassley that it remains unclear how long or how extensive military operations might become. During a White House press briefing, Trump defended the U.S. strike on Iran, claiming “just about everything’s been knocked out” in Iran’s military infrastructure. He also expressed surprise at Iran’s decision to retaliate by attacking neighboring countries. Military activity in the region intensified for a fourth consecutive day, with Israel announcing simultaneous strikes targeting Iranian military sites in Tehran and Hezbollah positions in Beirut. The U.S. closed embassies in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Lebanon and issued warnings for Americans to leave 14 countries, including Israel and Egypt. Non-essential U.S. government personnel in Jordan, Bahrain, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, and the UAE were ordered to depart due to security risks.#dow_jones_industrial_average #s_p_500 #nasdaq_composite #middle_east_conflict #stoxx_600
