Finance & Banking — Iran War Disrupts Global Markets: Oil Routes Collapse, Mortgage Rates Spike, and Bitcoin Gains as Financial Impact Spreads

Finance & Banking · 2026-03-12

The escalating conflict with Iran is creating cascading effects across global financial markets, with three critical developments emerging today. First, the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has collapsed legitimate oil tanker traffic by 90%, though a shadow fleet continues operations. Second, this geopolitical tension is driving mortgage rates to their highest levels since August 2025,…