The War In Iran Is Back On

A new cycle of uncertainty and higher energy costs has begun. Carl Tannenbaum explains.

The Week in Markets

The calm breaks: Iran escalates, the chip trade cracks — and beneath the mega-caps, the market broadens

Early in the week, Northern Trust's Vaibhav Tandon framed the standoff "lock, stock and barrel" and explained why oil's response had stayed surprisingly muted. His central warning was that those cushions are temporary, with strategic reserves near multi-decade lows and refined-fuel markets tightening. By Friday, that warning was being tested in real time: oil spiked again, a global chip sell-off took hold, and risk sentiment turned as Washington signalled fresh escalation against Iran.

MFS's energy team had argued the same structural point. Iran's unprecedented closure of the strait briefly pushed oil above ~$100 before deal hopes pulled it back, yet one- and two-year prices still sit around ~$5 above pre-war levels, and the episode has reprioritised security over sustainability in the "energy trilemma." The lesson of the week is that the calm both described was never stability... just the interval before the next shock.

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