PREVIEW

Fears of Potential Iranian Attack Drive US Stocks Down Nearly 500 Points. CNN reports that United States stocks dropped on April 12 amid rising tensions in the Middle East pushing traders to seek safe havens like gold and bonds. By mid-afternoon, the Dow had fallen 1.4%, the S&P 500 went down 1.6%, and the Nasdaq dropped 1.8%. The dip came after the White House announced that both the U.S. and Israel are on alert for a potential attack by Iran or its allies. The warning comes after Iran accused Israel of a deadly airstrike on a consulate in Damascus, Syria. The news also sent oil prices up amid fears of regional tensions escalating as a result of the ongoing war in Gaza. Brent crude futures jumped up to $90.42 a barrel, and West Texas Intermediate crude futures increased to $86.65 a barrel. Those geopolitical concerns and subsequent rising oil prices sent investors to safe havens like gold futures, which rose to $2,379 a troy ounce. CNN reports that Americans' opinions of the economy have dipped in the past few months amid persistently high inflation. The geopolitical fears come as investors are already contending with concerns that the Federal Reserve could wait to bring interest rates down from a 23-year high. Officials at the Fed have signaled that further rate hikes could still be on the way if the central bank's efforts to fight inflation stall. THIS VIDEO MUST NOT BE EDITED FOR LENGTH TO COMBINE WITH OTHER CONTENT