Escalating tensions in the Middle East and heightened expectations of Federal Reserve rate hikes have triggered significant turmoil in global markets. U.S. stocks experienced their longest weekly decline in a year, with the Nasdaq dropping over 2% in a single day as tech stocks came under pressure. Bond yields in the U.S., U.K., and Germany surged to multi-year highs, prompting widespread deleveraging by investors. Commodities showed divergent trends, with gold plummeting over 10% in a week to fall below $4,500, marking its largest drop since 1983, while crude oil prices surged due to supply risks, with Brent crude exceeding $110 and Dubai crude futures rising over 16% in a day. Bitcoin, meanwhile, found support near $70,000, outperforming gold for three consecutive weeks. Analysts suggest that geopolitical conflicts have increased energy prices and inflation expectations, leading to a rapid tightening of global financial conditions.