Global Markets Rally as Trump Signals Potential De-escalation Despite Iran’s Threat to Halt Regional Oil Exports

Investors rally as Trump signals the Iran war is "nearly complete," despite Revolutionary Guard threats to block oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 10, 2026, 8:51 AM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from AsiaOne

Market Optimism Amidst Rhetorical Escalation

The global financial landscape experienced a rare moment of reprieve on Tuesday as investors began pricing in an early end to the war in the Middle East. Despite a series of aggressive threats exchanged between Washington and Tehran, Asian and European equity markets staged a recovery from previous historic lows. This shift in sentiment followed a press conference by President Donald Trump, in which he described the ten-day-old campaign as nearly finished. While the Revolutionary Guards countered with pledges to halt all oil shipments from the region, the market’s pivot suggests a growing belief that the risk of a total global energy collapse is receding.

Tehran Endures the Fiercest Bombardment to Date

On the ground, the reality remains starkly different from the cooling electronic tickers of global exchanges. Residents in the Iranian capital described overnight US-Israeli air strikes as the most intense since the conflict began on February 28. According to reports from Tehran, the bombardment targeted every sector of the city, leaving civilians in a state of constant terror. The Israeli military confirmed it had successfully struck a strategic weapons research-and-development facility, part of a broader effort to inflict maximum structural damage before any potential ceasefire is mandated by the White House.

The Rise of a New Hardline Leadership

Politically, the conflict has entered a new phase with the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran’s Supreme Leader, succeeding his father who was killed during the opening salvo of the war. This move directly defies President Trump’s earlier demands for the United States to oversee a transition to a new, Western-aligned leadership. The swift consolidation of power around the younger Khamenei was marked by large-scale pro-government rallies in Tehran, signaling that the clerical establishment remains entrenched despite the heavy toll of the air campaign and the displacement of thousands of civilians.