Israeli Military Strikes Iranian Nuclear Facility, Further Escalating Middle East Tensions: Strait of Hormuz Crisis Unfolds, Global Markets Experience Severe Volatility

BlockBeats News, March 28th. Last night and this morning, the situation in the Middle East escalated again. The Israeli Defense Forces confirmed that they had launched airstrikes on two key nuclear facilities inside Iran, including the heavy-water reactor in Fordow in the central province and a uranium enrichment facility in Yazd province, stating that the purpose of this action was to continue undermining Iran's nuclear capability. The IDF stated that these facilities not only have the ability to produce nuclear materials but are also important economic assets for Iran. Previously, this heavy-water reactor was targeted in an airstrike in June 2025.

In response, Iran took a tough stance. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, blocking passage to ships related to the United States and Israel, leading several international cargo ships to turn back. Iran also warned that it may launch retaliatory strikes against industrial facilities in Israel and several other regional countries, with the Houthi forces expressing readiness to directly intervene in the conflict under certain conditions.

On the Israeli side, they further signaled escalation, with the Defense Minister stating that the strikes against Iran would continue to expand, and they have already taken action against targets across Tehran. The U.S. has taken a relatively restrained stance, only stating that there are currently no plans for a ground invasion but predicting that the conflict could last for 2 to 4 weeks. President Trump emphasized in his speech that Iran "must keep the Strait of Hormuz open," momentarily misspeaking and referring to it as the "Trump Strait."

Meanwhile, there are diplomatic efforts underway in the region. According to Reuters, Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait are privately mediating for a ceasefire, while Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain are preparing for escalation and explicitly oppose Iran's continued use of the strait as a bargaining chip.

Geopolitical risks have rapidly spread to the global market. Due to concerns about the Middle East's oil supply, crude oil prices have risen back above $100, spot gold has surpassed the $4500 mark again, and LME's near-month aluminum futures contract premium has reached a record high. U.S. stocks are under pressure, with the Nasdaq falling into a technical correction range from its high, and the three major indices generally hitting new lows.

There is also uncertainty at the macro and policy levels: Fitch maintains Israel's "A" rating but with a negative outlook; the U.S. Congress is once again deadlocked over Homeland Security funding, raising the risk of a government shutdown; Russia has announced a ban on gasoline exports starting in April, which could further disrupt the energy supply landscape.

Currently, the Middle East conflict has rapidly evolved from a "localized strike" to a high-risk stage of "regional power play + global market interconnection." The lifelines of energy transportation and commodity prices have become core variables, and the future direction of the situation remains highly uncertain.