US-Iran war: Israeli stocks regained strength in Tuesday’s session, March 10, as investors assessed comments from US President Donald Trump on a possible early end to the war, reversing the risk-off sentiment, even as tensions in the Middle East remained elevated.
The broader TA‑125 Index jumped 1.2% to the day’s high of the 4,256 level in the early hours of trade, following a sharp 3% crash in the previous session. The blue-chip TA-35 Index also recovered from the previous day’s slump, advancing 1.2% to reach the high of the 4,281 level.
Trump, who has previously said that the war could last for a month or longer, sought to downplay growing fears that it could drag on further, saying it was “going to be a short-term excursion.”
Crude oil prices, which have been running high since the start of the war, dropped 10% in Tuesday’s early trade following the Trump statement.
Addressing the media on Monday, Trump said the US administration would remove oil-related sanctions and suggested the war could end soon, easing market concerns that had pushed prices to multi-year highs. Although the president said he did not believe the conflict would end this week, he added that the operation was ahead of schedule.
Taking to the social media platform Truth Social, the US president warned Iran of stronger attacks if oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz were disrupted.
“If Iran does anything that stops the flow of oil within the Strait of Hormuz, they will be hit by the United States of America TWENTY TIMES HARDER than they have been hit thus far. Additionally, we will take out easily destroyable targets that will make it virtually impossible for Iran to ever be built back, as a Nation, again — Death, Fire, and Fury will reign upon them — But I hope, and pray, that it does not happen!” he said.
Iran has effectively stopped tankers from using the Strait of Hormuz, the shipping lane between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman — the gateway to the Indian Ocean — through which nearly 20% of the world’s oil is transported.
Tel Aviv exchange shifts trading week to align with global markets
The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange earlier this year shifted to a Monday–Friday trading week from Sunday–Thursday to align itself with global standards, increase liquidity, and enhance the attractiveness of Israeli capital markets, Reuters reported.
The bourse has long hoped that a decision to move away from Israel’s Sunday–Thursday workweek to one that overlaps more with S&P 500-linked Wall Street and European bourses would help it secure inclusion in global index provider MSCI’s Europe category.
MSCI in 2022 rejected shifting the country to a new region, citing differing market trading days as a key reason.
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