U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a roundtable meeting on the administration’s “ratepayer protection pledge” in the Indian Treaty Room at the White House on March 4, 2026 in Washington, DC.
Win McNamee | Getty Images
LONDON — European stocks were in the red again on Thursday as market participants followed geopolitical developments in the Middle East.
The pan-European Stoxx 600 was 0.4% lower shortly after the opening bell. London’s FTSE 100 was down 0.3%, Germany’s DAX shed roughly 0.6%, and France’s CAC 40 was 0.5% lower. Spain’s IBEX was down 0.4% at the open. All major sectors except Oil & Gas, Utilities, and Food & Beverages were in negative territory.
Spanish stocks will be watched closely today as Madrid is in trouble with U.S. President Donald Trump for refusing to allow U.S. forces to use its bases for strikes on Iran. “Spain has been terrible,” Trump said on Tuesday. “We’re going to cut off all trade with Spain. We don’t want anything to do with Spain.”
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called the Middle East crisis a “disaster” on Wednesday.
Global market attention remains focused on the U.S. and Israel’s war on Iran, with attacks intensifying over the last 24 hours.
Israel on Wednesday launched a fresh round of attacks on Tehran, with the country’s defense minister vowing to “crush” the Iranian regime’s capabilities. Meanwhile, the U.S. said it has destroyed 17 Iranian ships and nearly 2,000 targets.
In Iran, senior clerics responsible for selecting the next supreme leader are considering naming Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to the top post, according to reports.
The U.S. and Israel’s endgame when it comes to “Operation Epic Fury” remains uncertain, and experts have told CNBC they could get bogged down in the war if the Iranian regime proves more resilient than expected.
Earnings come from Merck, DHL Group, Reckitt Benckiser, Galderma Group and Universal Music Group while data releases include the latest EU retail sales figures.