Geopolitics 3 March 2026 - 20 May 2026

Critical Metals Stock Reacts as Tanbreez Deals Stir Up Rare-Earth Work and China Supply Risk
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Critical Metals Stock Reacts as Tanbreez Deals Stir Up Rare-Earth Work and China Supply Risk

Critical Metals Corp shares held steady at $10.75 in early U.S. premarket trading Thursday after closing up 9.69% the previous day. The move followed news of a 15-year offtake deal with REalloys Inc. for 15% of Tanbreez’s Phase 1 output and an amended SEC filing raising Critical Metals’ Tanbreez stake to 92.5%. Regular Nasdaq trading had not opened at the time.
May 21, 2026
U.S. Drone Ambitions Meet China Rare Earth Leverage
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U.S. Drone Ambitions Meet China Rare Earth Leverage

China said it would address some U.S. concerns over rare-earth export controls but defended its curbs as legal, offering no rollback. The Pentagon’s Drone Dominance program has ordered 30,000 attack drones and plans to buy over 200,000 by 2027, but supply chains remain vulnerable. China controls nearly all rare-earth refining and magnet manufacturing, raising concerns for U.S. defense production.
May 20, 2026
Oil Tankers Go Dark Near Hormuz as Iran Risk Keeps Crude Above $100
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Oil Tankers Go Dark Near Hormuz as Iran Risk Keeps Crude Above $100

Three crude oil tankers carrying 6 million barrels left the Strait of Hormuz with tracking systems off, shipping data showed, as Iranian threats persist. The Agios Fanourios I, loaded with Iraqi crude, crossed on Iran’s designated route and is bound for Vietnam. Brent crude rose nearly 4% to $105.33 a barrel after President Trump rejected Iran’s peace response. LNG carriers have also crossed the strait with trackers off, but traffic remains limited.
May 11, 2026
DNO Tawke Restart Stalls: Kurdistan Oil Output Still Shut as Genel and ShaMaran Feel Iran War Hit
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DNO Tawke Restart Stalls: Kurdistan Oil Output Still Shut as Genel and ShaMaran Feel Iran War Hit

DNO has restarted limited field work at the Tawke license in Iraqi Kurdistan, but oil production remains halted due to security concerns after U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran. Genel Energy reported first-quarter Tawke output fell to 52,800 bpd, with its shares down 3.77% in London. DNO’s net profit for the quarter was $51 million, with North Sea output offsetting lower Kurdistan volumes.
May 7, 2026
Oil Price Shock: Brent Tops $126 as Trump’s Iran Blockade Deepens Hormuz Crisis
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Oil Price Shock: Brent Tops $126 as Trump’s Iran Blockade Deepens Hormuz Crisis

Brent crude futures jumped to $126.41 a barrel Thursday, the highest since March 2022, after reports that President Trump was briefed on new military options against Iran as the Strait of Hormuz remained closed. U.S. benchmark WTI traded above $108. Ship traffic through Hormuz remains far below normal, with just six ships crossing in 24 hours compared to 125–140 before the conflict began.
April 30, 2026
S&P 500, Nasdaq Records Face $105 Oil Test as AI Rally Meets Iran War Risk
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S&P 500, Nasdaq Records Face $105 Oil Test as AI Rally Meets Iran War Risk

U.S. stocks fell Thursday, with the Dow down 180.70 points to 49,309.33, the S&P 500 off 0.41%, and the Nasdaq dropping 0.89%, as Brent crude settled at $105.07 and investors reacted to renewed U.S.-Iran tensions. ServiceNow shares plunged 17.7%, IBM lost 8.3%, and Tesla slid 3.6% after announcing higher capital spending. Japan’s Nikkei briefly topped 60,000 before closing lower.
April 24, 2026
Macquarie Group Ltd Warns of $200 Oil Shock if Iran War Runs Into June
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Macquarie Group Ltd Warns of $200 Oil Shock if Iran War Runs Into June

Macquarie Group strategists warned oil could reach $200 a barrel if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed into June due to war involving Iran. Brent crude rose 4.2% to $112.57 on Sunday as governments moved to manage energy shocks. Macquarie analysts assigned a 40% chance to the $200 scenario, with their base case expecting the conflict to end by March. Two India-bound tankers cleared the strait on March 29 amid regional talks to reopen shipping.
March 29, 2026
Iran War Slams Markets Again: Oil Tops $110, Bonds Sell Off, Nasdaq Deepens Correction
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Iran War Slams Markets Again: Oil Tops $110, Bonds Sell Off, Nasdaq Deepens Correction

Global stocks slid Friday as Brent crude rose above $110 a barrel and Wall Street opened lower, following President Trump’s extension of the Iran shipping deadline. The Dow fell 450 points Thursday, the S&P 500 lost 1.7%, and the Nasdaq entered correction territory. Bond yields hit multi-year highs, while gold continued its decline. OECD cut its 2026 global growth forecast and raised inflation estimates.
March 27, 2026
Gold Prices Tumble Despite Iran War as Oil Whipsaws and Investors Dump Metals
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Gold Prices Tumble Despite Iran War as Oil Whipsaws and Investors Dump Metals

Gold fell for a ninth straight session Monday, briefly hitting a four-month low, as bullion dropped 15% since Feb. 28 amid $7.9 billion in ETF outflows. Brent crude settled below $100 after President Trump delayed strikes on Iranian energy sites, sparking a rebound in U.S. and European stocks. The Dow jumped 631 points. Treasury yields eased and the dollar slipped after Trump’s announcement.
March 24, 2026
Oil Nears $120 as Iran War Hammers KOSPI, Asian Stocks and Wall Street
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Oil Nears $120 as Iran War Hammers KOSPI, Asian Stocks and Wall Street

Oil prices jumped to $119.50 a barrel Monday as the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran disrupted Gulf supplies and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Stocks tumbled worldwide; Seoul's KOSPI fell 8.8%, and Europe's STOXX 600 dropped 1.8%. Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, and Bahrain slashed output. Hundreds of tankers idled near Hormuz, and airline fares soared as jet fuel costs spiked.
March 9, 2026
Oil Tops $100 for First Time Since 2022 as Iran War Cuts Supply, G7 Weighs Reserve Release
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Oil Tops $100 for First Time Since 2022 as Iran War Cuts Supply, G7 Weighs Reserve Release

Brent crude surged to $119.50 a barrel Monday as the Iran war disrupted Gulf oil flows, forcing Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Kuwait to cut output and leaving tankers stranded at the Strait of Hormuz. Central banks shifted rate expectations amid inflation fears. Governments considered releasing emergency reserves. Airline shares dropped as jet fuel prices soared.
March 9, 2026
Exxon Mobil’s rare Australia gasoline shipment shows how the Strait of Hormuz shock is rewriting fuel trade
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Exxon Mobil’s rare Australia gasoline shipment shows how the Strait of Hormuz shock is rewriting fuel trade

Exxon Mobil has booked two tankers to ship about 600,000 barrels of gasoline from Houston to Australia in mid-March, sources said, marking a rare U.S. Gulf-to-Australia cargo. The move follows disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz that have stalled oil and LNG shipments, driving up Brent crude by 5% to $85.49 a barrel and pushing Singapore refining margins to nearly $30. Hundreds of tankers remain stranded off Gulf producers.
March 5, 2026
Oil prices jump on Iran war as Hormuz logjam lifts Brent above $84, WTI near $79
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Oil prices jump on Iran war as Hormuz logjam lifts Brent above $84, WTI near $79

Oil prices surged over 3% Thursday as the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran halted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz for a fifth day, stranding about 200 tankers and cutting Iraq’s output by 1.5 million barrels per day. Brent rose to $84.32 a barrel, WTI to $79.06. Qatar declared force majeure on LNG exports. Goldman Sachs raised its Brent forecast by $10, warning a price spike could slow global growth.
March 5, 2026
Dollar back in favor as Iran war jolts energy prices and flips euro bets
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Dollar back in favor as Iran war jolts energy prices and flips euro bets

Options traders pushed the euro to its weakest in over a year as Europe’s energy crisis deepened and the Iran war lifted oil prices. The dollar index touched its highest since November before easing 0.3% to 98.83 Wednesday, while the euro rose 0.2% to $1.1632. Funds cut short-dollar trades, and strategists warned of a potential funding squeeze if demand for dollars intensifies.
March 5, 2026
Iran war rattles oil, gold and stocks again as Seoul crashes and Wall Street hunts for an off‑ramp
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Iran war rattles oil, gold and stocks again as Seoul crashes and Wall Street hunts for an off‑ramp

South Korea’s KOSPI closed down 12% Wednesday, triggering circuit breakers, as Asian stocks fell and Brent crude held at $83.76 a barrel amid Iran conflict fears. Gold rebounded 1.5% to $5,155 an ounce. U.S. futures steadied after reports of indirect Iran-U.S. outreach, while Europe’s STOXX 600 gained 0.6%. Samsung and SK Hynix shares each dropped about 20% this week.
March 4, 2026
Oil nears $85 as Hormuz crisis drags on and stocks slide again
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Oil nears $85 as Hormuz crisis drags on and stocks slide again

Brent crude rose 3.3% to $84.07 a barrel as fighting in the Strait of Hormuz disrupted oil flows and Iraq cut output by 1.5 million barrels per day. South Korea’s Kospi dropped 12%, triggering a brief trading halt, while Japan’s Nikkei lost 3.9%. Europe’s STOXX 600 fell over 3% Tuesday, led by banks and insurers. Money markets slashed bets on a March Bank of England rate cut as energy prices surged.
March 4, 2026
Oil hits 19-month high as Iran war rattles global stocks and delays rate-cut hopes
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Oil hits 19-month high as Iran war rattles global stocks and delays rate-cut hopes

Global stock markets fell sharply Tuesday as the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran disrupted oil shipping and pushed Brent crude up 7% to $83.44 a barrel. The FTSE 100 dropped 2.6%, Japan’s Nikkei 3.1%, and South Korea’s Kospi 7.2%. UK gas prices jumped 30% after Iran attacked five ships in the Strait of Hormuz, halting most tanker traffic. Investors delayed expectations for central bank rate cuts in the UK and U.S.
March 3, 2026
Oil Surges, Stock Futures Slide as Iran War Chokes Hormuz — What Wall Street Watches Next
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Oil Surges, Stock Futures Slide as Iran War Chokes Hormuz — What Wall Street Watches Next

Nasdaq 100 futures dropped over 2% early Tuesday as Brent crude surged above $83 a barrel, driven by shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz amid conflict involving the U.S., Israel, and Iran. About 150 ships were stranded, and marine insurers began canceling war-risk coverage. Freight rates for crude shipments to China jumped to $423,736 per day. Washington said it would announce measures to address rising energy costs.
March 3, 2026
Strait of Hormuz closure pushes oil above $80 and gas to a 3-year high as Iran attacks snarl shipping
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Strait of Hormuz closure pushes oil above $80 and gas to a 3-year high as Iran attacks snarl shipping

Brent crude climbed above $80 a barrel for a third day as shipping risks surged in the Strait of Hormuz after attacks on tankers and LNG facilities. UK wholesale gas prices nearly doubled this week, while European gas hit a three-year high. Insurers pulled war-risk cover and freight costs soared as vessels rerouted. QatarEnergy halted LNG production after drone strikes at Ras Laffan and Mesaieed.
March 3, 2026
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Stock Market Today

  • CAR vs SOL Shares: Value Comparison for 2026
    May 22, 2026, 10:39 PM EDT. CAR Group Limited (ASX:CAR) shares have declined nearly 20% since early 2025, despite strong revenue growth averaging 37% annually since 2021 and a 2024 net profit of AUD 250 million. The company operates vehicle marketplaces globally, including Australia and the US. In contrast, Washington H Soul Pattinson (ASX:SOL) shares are near a 52-week high, reflecting its status as a diversified investment holding with low debt (8.5% debt-to-equity) and a consistent dividend history dating back to 1903. SOL reported a 5.6% return on equity (ROE) in FY24, with an average dividend yield of 2.4% over recent years. Investors seeking growth might favour CAR's expanding profits and market presence, while income-focused investors could prefer SOL's stable dividends and lower risk profile.