Stocks moved lower as the armed conflict between Israel and Iran continued for the fifth day. Most recently, U.S. President Trump took to Truth Social to threaten Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and demand 'unconditional surrender.' This comes after Trump's earlier post calling for the evacuation of Tehran. 

The Dow and Nasdaq both posted triple-digit drops, while the S&P 500 finished comfortably lower. Wall Street's "fear gauge," the Cboe Volatility Index (VIX), surged 13% for its fourth gain in the last five sessions. 

OIL PRICES RESUME SURGE

Oil prices jumped once again amid Middle East tensions. July-dated West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose $3.07, or 4.28%, to close at $74.84 per barrel. 

Bullion inched lower as the greenback strengthened today, though notably, silver jumped to a 13-year high. U.S. gold futures fell about  0.3% to settle at $3,408.70 per ounce.

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