As Netanyahu vows Iran payback, markets watch for dangers of further escalation
Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel, October 1, 2024
Amir Cohen | Reuters
Israel’s government has vowed a severe response to Iran’s unprecedented missile barrage into Tel Aviv, leaving the Middle East on edge as fears rise over a possible all-out war between the two long-time foes.
On Tuesday evening, Iran launched roughly 180 ballistic missiles at several sites across Israel, an attack Tehran said came in response to the Israeli assassination of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah the week prior.
Israeli authorities say there were no casualties as a result of the offensive, and that most of the strikes were intercepted. But the event marked a turning point in a series of escalatory tit-for-tat moves, as Tehran appeared adamant to re-set deterrence and prove to Israel that it could — and would — attack at a time of its choosing.
Markets are now braced for what could follow a likely Israeli retaliation against Iran. Defense stocks are rallying — and long-subdued oil prices may also be set for increases, as industry watchers now see a real threat to crude supplies.
As much as 4% of global oil supply is at risk as oil infrastructure in Iran — one of OPEC’s largest crude producers — could become a target for Israel.
Oil prices gained over 5% in the previous session following the missile strike, before tapering to a 2.5% climb. The December delivery contract of global benchmark Brent was trading at $75.37 per barrel at 10:30 a.m. in London, while front-month November U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures were up 2.68% to $71.70 per barrel.
“I think this focus might be on Israel, but the focus should really be on Iran, and whether there will be attacks on regional infrastructure. That really is the one event that we are looking for, and which could determine a more dangerous path for stock markets, for risk assets in general,” Frederique Carrier, head of investment strategy for the British Isles and Asia at RBC Wealth Management, told CNBC’s Capital Connection on Wednesday.
“We know, looking at the acts of war since the 1940s, that those which create an oil crisis [and] a prolonged increase in oil prices are the ones which have a long-lasting impact on stock markets.”
She added that so far, there is “no indication” of that.
Oil infrastructure ‘tempting targets for Israel’
Lewis Sage-Passant, an adjunct professor of intelligence at Sciences Po in Paris, described energy markets as jittery, as investors watch for Israel’s next moves.
“Iran depends on a handful of ‘chokepoint’ export terminals, such as Khark island, which will be tempting targets for Israel,” Sage-Passant said. “Energy sector teams seem nervous about an escalating tit-for-tat of strikes against regional infrastructure. Even without direct targeting, much of the world’s oil infrastructure sits under these missile’s flight paths, so naturally everyone is very nervous.”
Following the Tuesday attack, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan warned of severe consequences for Iran, saying that the U.S. would staunchly support Israel. But Washington’s efforts to de-escalate and prevent a region-wide conflict have clearly failed, according to Roger Zakheim, a former U.S. deputy assistant defense secretary and director of the Ronald Reagan Institute in Washington.
Iran’s attack and the subsequent Israeli response “may result in impact on oil, energy markets, certainly aviation, and I think certainly the defense sector … Investments in missile defense and ammunition, those companies that manufacture and produce those systems, for sure are going to be impacted by what’s playing out in the Middle East,” he said.
Immediately following the Iranian strikes, U.S. defense stocks hit record highs. Their European counterparts also ticked higher on Wednesday morning on the rising conflict risks, with Saab and BAE Systems adding 2.2%. Thales and Rheinmetall both rose more than 1.3%.
“Israelis now will respond, not only in kind, but do what is necessary to restore deterrence,” Zakheim added.
Deterrence, or full-blown war?
Questions remain whether a strong Israeli response would restore deterrence or trigger further escalation from Iran and tip the nations into a full-blown war. In a statement following the country’s missile salvos, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said: “Our action is concluded unless the Israeli regime decides to invite further retaliation. In that scenario, our response will be stronger and more powerful.”
Aside from geographical choke points in the oil market, “there are plenty of facilities on [the] Iranian side and also [on the ] Israeli side that could all be targeted in terms of critical infrastructure,” Sara Vakhshouri, founder and president at SVB Energy, told CNBC’s Capital Connection on Wednesday.
“That infrastructure is all connected,” she said, stressing that the sheer size of Iran means “it is impossible to somehow secure all of it.”
Some market watchers are warning oil could hit $100 per barrel.
Vakhshouri expressed doubts over such a forecast, noting that geopolitical events often only affect oil prices temporarily. The extent and duration of any market impact “depends on where the destruction would be and how much oil is going to be taken off the market,” she said.
“Definitely, prices will have an upward trend. [But] the other thing is that the market is focusing on huge uncertainty on both sides … [whether] it’s the demand side or the geopolitical side.”
A longer-term issue underpinning oil prices is the broader global demand picture. Brent crude hit a 33-month low in mid-September and had hovered around $70 per barrel until Iran’s missile attack on Israel, based on slowing global demand and abundant supply, particularly from non-OPEC+ producers.
“So it’s very interesting moment now,” Vakhshouri said. “We have the prices being resilient due to the fear of low demand in the market, but also the geopolitical factor is real. Any side could really push the market, and we have seen just in the past few days, how the prices go up and down, depending on how the sentiments are triggered in the market.”
The GV90 is set to raise the bar as the most luxurious Genesis SUV. If you thought the GV80 was impressive, wait until you see this larger, three-row electric flagship. After it was recently spotted in the US, we are getting our first glimpse of the ultra-luxe Genesis GV90’s interior.
First look at the Genesis GV90 interior in the US
Genesis previewed the flagship SUV at the NY Auto Show last March with the Neolun concept, which the brand refers to as its “ultra-luxe vision of luxury SUVs.”
It’s not only stunning on the outside, but the full-size SUV will introduce advanced new tech and upscale design features for “a whole new level of luxury.”
Drawing inspiration from Korean aesthetics, the interior is fit for royalty. The concept featured a “Royal Indigo” cashmere and a vintage-like “Purple Silk” leather. Genesis topped it off with dark-colored wood accents for an even more luxurious feel.
After it was spotted in public in California, it looks like the interior of the Genesis GV90 will retain some elements from the concept.
The new photos, courtesy of The Korean Car Blog, offer a sneak peek at what we can expect when it arrives in production form.
You’ll notice that the color scheme remains largely the same, with purple accents on the door trim, seats, and other interior elements.
The GV90 will serve as the luxury brand’s tech beacon, featuring Hyundai Motor’s latest technology and software. A 24″ infotainment system will sit at the center with navigation and voice command recognition.
It will also feature a 3D audio experience with tweeters, midrange speakers, woofers, and subwoofers strategically placed, creating an immersive audio experience. The iconic Crystal Sphere is not only a centerpiece, but it will also serve as a hi-fi tweeter speaker.
According to Luc Donckerwolke, Genesis’ chief creative officer, the concept is “the epitome of timeless design and sophisticated craftsmanship.” Do you agree?
With GV90 models now in public testing, Genesis appears to be on track to launch the flagship SUV in mid-2026. Earlier this month, we got a closer look at the exterior after it was caught testing at the Nürburgring with less camo.
More details, including prices and final specs, will be revealed closer to launch. However, it is expected to ride on Hyundai’s new eM platform, which will replace its current E-GMP.
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Jakub Porzycki | Nurphoto | Getty Images
The SEC has formally dropped its lawsuit against Binance and founder Changpeng Zhao, bringing an end to one of the last remaining crypto enforcement actions brought by the agency.
In a Thursday filing in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, lawyers for the SEC and Binance jointly moved to dismiss the case, which was first brought in June 2023.
The original complaint accused the crypto exchange of violations including illegally serving U.S. users, inflating trading volumes, and commingling customer funds. The agency also claimed that Binance unlawfully enabled trading in crypto assets it viewed as unregistered securities, an argument that was also used against Coinbase, Kraken, and others under prior SEC leadership.
The dismissal marks a symbolic end to one of the most aggressive crypto crackdowns in U.S. history, and comes as the Trump administration makes a concerted effort to prove that it’s an ally to the industry. The Justice Department has already shut down its crypto enforcement team, and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission is now set to be led by a venture capitalist with close ties to crypto.
Binance is the largest digital assets exchange in the world by volume. It recently forged ties with World Liberty Financial, a project that aspires to be a crypto bank and funnels 75% of profits to entities linked to the Trump family. Binance is taking a $2 billion investment from the Emirati state fund MGX entirely in USD1, a stablecoin newly launched by the World Liberty team.
Binance and World Liberty are also deepening their footprint in Pakistan, where WLF co-founder Zack Witkoff, the son of U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, recently struck a deal with the government. Around the same time, Zhao was appointed as an adviser to Pakistan’s newly formed Crypto Council, a state-backed body tasked with shaping national digital asset policy.
The SEC was the last major regulator still pursuing Binance after a $4.3 billion settlement with the U.S. government last year that saw Zhao plead guilty and step down as CEO, while avoiding jail time and retaining much of his wealth.
The agency’s motion to dismiss was granted with prejudice, meaning the SEC can’t refile the same claims.
Under the SEC’s new leadership, the agency has shifted away from enforcement and toward engagement and regulatory rollback. It’s held a series of roundtables led by Commissioner Hester Peirce and newly appointed Chair Paul Atkins.
The SEC has also begun dismantling key rules that once kept Wall Street on the sidelines. In January, it scrapped Staff Accounting Bulletin 121 — a controversial directive issued under former Chair Gary Gensler that forced banks to count crypto holdings as liabilities on their balance sheets. Peirce celebrated the reversal on X, posting, “Bye, bye SAB 121! It’s not been fun.”
In February, the agency followed up with new guidance indicating that it doesn’t view most meme coins as securities under federal law, providing a boon to the Trump family.
President Trump and several of his family members are closely tied to crypto ventures, including the $TRUMP token, which launched just before his January inauguration. The coin currently boasts a market cap of about $2.4 billion, with its website claiming that 80% of the supply is held by the Trump Organization and affiliated entities.
WATCH: President Trump holds controversial private dinner for top investors in his meme coin
After its electric vehicle sales more than doubled in the first quarter, GM claims it’s now the “#1 EV seller” in Canada. With a full lineup of 13 all-electric vehicles, GM sold more EVs than Tesla in Canada.
GM tops Tesla to become the #1 EV seller in Canada in Q1
GM’s electric vehicle sales in Canada surged by 252% in the first three months of 2025, with new Chevy and Cadillac models driving growth.
The Chevy Equinox EV led the way with 1,892 units sold, followed by the Silverado EV with 894 units. Cadillac’s new entry-level OPTIQ had a strong showing, with 615 models sold, nearly matching the 720 units sold of its first EV, the LYRIQ.
Even the GMC Hummer EV Pickup and SUV saw more demand, with sales up 232% (186) and 88% (252), respectively.
Combined, the automaker sold a total of 5,750 EVs in Q1. According to GM, this was enough to top Tesla to become “the #1 EV seller in Canada.”
GM Canada recently posted on social media, saying, “We claimed the top spot as Canada’s #1 EV seller!” The news comes as registration data show that Tesla registered just 524 vehicles in Quebec in Q1, down 87% from the same period last year.
The steep decline in sales comes after the Quebec government paused federal EV incentives from February to April 1st. Canada also paused its iZEV rebate program in January, which offered up to $5,000 on the purchase or lease of an EV. Like the US federal EV Tax credit, it was designed to be used at the point of sale to help lower prices.
GM also registered significantly fewer Equinox and Blazer EVs in Quebec during the quarter. Despite higher year-over-year (YOY) sales, GM’s electric vehicle (EV) sales were down considerably from the over 15,000 in Q4 2024.
The American automaker will continue to expand its lineup with the launch of the new Cadillac Escalade IQL, Lyriq-V, and Visiq.
By the end of the year, we also expect to get our first look at the next-gen Chevy Bolt EV with deliveries starting in 2026.
Electrek’s Take
GM is building momentum with new models rolling out, which now cover nearly every segment. In the US, GM surpassed Ford and Hyundai Motor, including Kia, to become the second-largest seller of EVs last year.
Chevy is now the fastest-growing EV brand in the US. The new electric Equinox, or “America’s most affordable 315+ miles range EV,” as GM calls it, is quickly becoming a top seller. The Blazer and Silverado EVs are also gaining traction.
Cadillac reported its best first quarter since 2008, with retail sales increasing by 21%. After delivering the first models in Q1, the entry-level OPTIQ is off to an impressive start with 1,716 units sold.
GM will top off its US electric vehicle lineup with the next-gen 2026 Chevy Bolt EV due out later this year or in early 2026.
Source: GM Authority, GM Canada
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