Since the war erupted at the end of February 2026, the S&P 500 has shed approximately 2.2 trillion dollars in market capitalization, reflecting deep investor fears over prolonged instability and energy shocks.

This massive loss stems directly from Iran's retaliatory actions, including threats and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, which have choked off a significant portion of global oil supplies and driven crude prices above 100 dollars per barrel on multiple occasions.

The war has exposed the fragility of Western economies heavily reliant on stable Middle East energy, inflicting severe pain on consumers through higher fuel costs while punishing financial markets.

On the last trading day of the week, Friday, US equities lost roughly 400 billion dollars as selling intensified.

The previous session on Thursday saw an even larger wipeout, with around 1,000 billion dollars erased in a single day.

The S&P 500 closed down 0.6 percent on Friday at approximately 6,632.

This marked its third consecutive weekly decline.

Year-to-date, the index has fallen more than 3 percent.

Over the past two weeks, it has dropped nearly 4 percent.

Cumulative losses in the S&P 500 since the war began now stand at about 2.2 trillion dollars, equivalent to roughly 3.6 percent from pre-conflict peaks.

Separately, the technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite fell 0.9 percent on Friday.

It ended the week down 1.3 percent overall.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 0.3 percent on the day.

For the week, it finished about 2 percent lower.

Global equity markets have faced even sharper pressure, with Asian indexes like Japan's Nikkei and South Korea's Kospi suffering steep single-day drops of over 5-7 percent in early March sessions amid oil import vulnerabilities.

European benchmarks, including the Stoxx 600, have also posted multi-week losses as energy costs surge and inflation risks mount.

The conflict's disruption to roughly one-fifth of global oil transit through the Strait of Hormuz has amplified these effects, halting tanker traffic dramatically and forcing supply shortfalls.

Soaring oil and gas prices have fueled stagflation concerns worldwide, eroding risk appetite and hitting growth-dependent sectors hardest.

The reckless US-Israeli escalation against Iran continues to demonstrate how such imperialist aggression not only fails to achieve strategic goals but inflicts self-harm on the aggressors' own economies and those of their allies, burdening ordinary people with higher living costs and market turmoil.