Israel initiated a precise preemptive strike targeting Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile facilities, escalating geopolitical tensions in the region.
Bitcoin (BTC) plunged sharply, dipping to a low of $103,162 during the initial phase of the attacks on Tehran and other key sites, before recovering modestly to trade around 2% below the previous day’s levels.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized that the strikes are intended to “roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival,” promising continued military action until the threat is fully neutralized.
Prior to the strike, the odds of Israeli military intervention against Iran by July were priced below 30% on prediction markets like Polymarket, indicating a largely unforeseen event.
The strikes were first reported by Axios, with Al-Jazeera later confirming that explosions were heard in Tehran.
Market Response:
European equities reacted negatively, with the Euro Stoxx 50 falling 1.4% and the FTSE 100 dropping 0.7%. U.S. stock futures declined approximately 1.4% amid the news.
Meanwhile, safe-haven assets saw gains: gold futures rose 1% to $1,436 an ounce, the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield fell by 2 basis points to 4.32%, and crude oil prices surged nearly 9%, settling around a 5.6% increase.
The U.S. dollar strengthened against the euro and British pound but weakened relative to the yen and Swiss franc, reflecting shifts in global currency flows amid rising geopolitical risk.
