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Israelâs COGAT said several Gaza crossings, including Rafah, were closed after Israeli and U.S. airstrikes on Iran, and humanitarian staff rotations have been suspended. The move threatens a crucial conduit for aid into Gaza and highlights how strikes on Iran risk destabilizing access and amplifying regional tensions.
Weekend strikes between the US, Israel and Iran jostled markets, pushing traders into lowâliquidity venues where crypto and commodity derivatives spiked. With key macro data, centralâbank policy expectations and major corporate and political events ahead, this week will test whether the shock becomes a lasting market regime change or a shortâlived risk premium.
A sudden escalation in USâIsraelâIran hostilities has injected fresh geopolitical risk into markets already constrained by holiday closures, forcing investors to interpret volatile moves on lowâliquidity crypto and derivatives platforms. The week ahead compacts critical macro data â most notably Fridayâs US nonfarm payrolls â with major political events and corporate earnings that together will determine whether recent risk premia persist or dissipate.
The UAE announced on 28 February that its air-defence forces intercepted a second wave of missiles alleged to have been launched from Iran, with debris falling across multiple Abu Dhabi districts but causing no injuries. The government framed the action as a demonstration of readiness while underscoring the priority of civilian safety amid rising regional tensions.
A large explosion and visible fires were reported in Tel Aviv on the evening of February 28, with state media publishing images but few details. The cause remains unclear, making official verification and follow-up statements critical for understanding whether this is an isolated incident or a potential trigger for wider escalation.
Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iranian targets on the 28th prompted widespread international alarm and calls for restraint. European leaders urged diplomacy and protection for civilians while Russia labeled the strikes "armed aggression," underscoring the risk of broader regional escalation and diplomatic fallout.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on February 28 that there are mounting signs Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is âno longer alive,â a claim published by Xinhua but not independently verified. The assertion, whether true or rhetorical, has major implications for Iranian succession, regional stability and the risk of escalation between Israel and Iran.
President Erdogan condemned a USâIsraeli strike on Iran as a violation of international law and called for an immediate ceasefire, blaming the Netanyahu governmentâs provocations for escalating tensions. He said Turkey will accelerate diplomatic efforts to convene talks and press the parties back to the negotiating table, positioning Ankara as a potential mediator amid a volatile regional environment.
A source says Iranâs Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has entered an operational command room to oversee military operations, echoing his role during last yearâs 12-day clash with Israel. His direct involvement concentrates decision-making at the regimeâs apex and raises the risk of faster, coordinated responses by Iran and its proxies, complicating regional de-escalation efforts.
Haitong economist Zhang Yidong argues that recent Persian Gulf violence reflects a deeper global power reordering and will drive a strategic revaluation of assets. While oil and tanker markets may spike on risk, gold and defence stocks offer stronger longâterm allocation value amid sustained geopolitical uncertainty.
Zeng Congqin, chairman and party secretary of Sichuan Yibin Wuliangye Group and its listed unit, is under disciplinary and supervisory investigation by Yibinâs discipline inspection commission. The probe raises questions about governance at one of Chinaâs largest baijiu producers and may have political, market and operational repercussions.
A surprise series of USâIsraeli airstrikes struck Tehran on the morning of Feb. 28, provoking widespread panic, school evacuations and communications difficulties. The operation â broader than previous strikes â targeted security and state-linked sites and was accompanied by a US presidential appeal urging Iranians to rise against their government, raising the stakes for regional escalation.
Iran's foreign minister wrote to the UN on February 28 protesting recent US and Israeli strikes, demanding that both states bear full responsibility for any consequences including escalation. The letter is a diplomatic attempt to frame the attacks as illegal and to build a political record, even as the Security Council is unlikely to take decisive action.
US and Israeli strikes on Iran on 28 February prompted an Iranian retaliation and a call from French president Emmanuel Macron for an emergency UN Security Council meeting. Macron warned the episode could seriously undermine international peace and urged an immediate halt to escalation amid concerns about regional spillover and disruption to global markets.
On February 28, Israelâs Home Front Command ordered civilians into shelters as airâraid sirens sounded across multiple locations, with Xinhua photographs showing people sheltering in a Tel Aviv subway station. The event highlights the direct impact of hostilities on urban life, strains on civilâdefense systems and broader implications for regional stability and escalation risks.
U.S. and Israeli forces launched a joint assault on Iran on 28 February 2026 that struck near the residences of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian, signalling a deliberate escalation from 2025 strikes on nuclear sites. Washington appears to be testing a stepwise campaign intended to degrade Iran's remaining capabilities and to pressure Tehran politically, a gamble that raises the risk of wider regional war and profound diplomatic fallout.
Japanâs ruling party has approved a draft to broaden defence equipment exports to include combat-capable systems, a step that would revise decades of postâwar restraint. The change has provoked domestic protests and regional concern, and it could alter security dynamics in East Asia while raising questions about oversight and endâuse controls.
The UN's human rights chief, Volker TĂŒrk, condemned recent strikes involving Israel, the United States and Iran and urged all sides to return to negotiations to avoid civilian suffering. The exchanges mark a dangerous escalation with potential ripple effects for regional stability, maritime security and global energy markets.
Satellite images show 11 U.S. F-22 stealth fighters at Ovda Airbase in southern Israel, part of a recent U.S. deployment to the Middle East. The move is a significant signal of deterrence and deepened military cooperation between Washington and Jerusalem, with implications for regional escalation and force posture.
Amazon said it will invest up to $50 billion in OpenAI and host substantial OpenAI workloads on AWS, including a pledge to run 2GW of its Trainium chips on OpenAIâs Frontier platform. The deal, which runs alongside continuing ties with Anthropic, strengthens AWSâs competitive position in the AI cloud market and validates Amazonâs push into custom AI silicon while leaving significant milestones and conditionality unresolved.
