Bloomberg Daybreak: US Edition

Today's top stories, with context, in just 15 minutes.
On today's podcast:
1) The US-Israeli war on Iran reverberated across the Middle East and global markets on Tuesday, as oil and gas prices surged and Tehran vowed to close the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane. Both the US and Israeli militaries continued to bombard Iran’s capital. The US embassy in Riyadh was attacked by two drones, causing limited damage, and Israel sent soldiers into southern Lebanon, where the Iran-aligned Hezbollah militia is based. The escalation came as the US sent conflicting messages about how long the war might last, and an adviser to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander told state TV that forces “will set fire to any ship attempting to pass through” the Strait of Hormuz. China, which buys most of Iran’s oil, urged “all sides” to ensure the safe passage of ships through the waterway, where traffic has effectively halted.
2) President Trump escalated his criticism of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, in a fresh indication of how strained the two allies’ relationship has become over the US president’s efforts to enlist the UK’s help in its strikes against Iran. Starmer — who declined a US request to use British bases for offensive operations against the Islamic republic — has “not been helpful,” Trump said in an interview with The Sun tabloid. “It’s very sad to see that the relationship is obviously not what it was.” It’s the latest in a series of jibes Trump has made toward the Labour Party leader since he pushed back against Trump’s designs on Greenland earlier in the year. The US president has repeatedly criticized Starmer’s deal ceding sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius — something he did again in his Sun interview — and has also dismissed Britain’s role alongside American troops in the Afghanistan war.
3) US and Chinese trade negotiators are slated to meet in mid-March, according to people familiar with the matter, signaling a planned summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping is pushing ahead despite American strikes against Iran. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and China’s Vice Premier He Lifeng are expected to convene in Paris at the end of next week to discuss business deals that could stem from the leaders’ meeting, said the people who requested anonymity to discuss plans that aren’t yet public. Both the timing and location of the meeting could still shift, the people added. Among the issues that could be addressed are a possible Chinese purchase of Boeing Co. planes, commitments to buy US soybeans and Taiwan, the self-ruled island China views as its own, some of the people said. The future of US fentanyl tariffs struck down by the Supreme Court could also be on the agenda, they added.
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Today's top stories, with context, in just 15 minutes.
On today's podcast:
1) President Trump said the bombing campaign against Iran will continue until its objectives are achieved, calling on the nation’s leaders to capitulate as a report indicated at least one top official in Tehran sought to resume nuclear talks with the US. Trump on Sunday re-confirmed the death of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and said the US and Israel had struck hundreds of targets in Iran including Revolutionary Guard facilities and air defenses. The US military’s Central Command announced Sunday that three US service members were killed and five “seriously wounded” during operations against the Islamic Republic, but gave no further details. Trump, who campaigned for the presidency on a pledge not to endanger American troops in the Middle East, called their deaths part of “the righteous mission” in a video posted on social media. “There will likely be more before it ends. That’s the way it is.”
2) Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are stepping up criticism of Iran’s regional attacks, while Gulf states consider coordinating efforts to halt what they’ve called “treacherous” and “heinous” actions by Tehran. Ministers from Gulf Cooperation Council nations held an extraodinary meeting on Sunday to review damages from Iran’s strikes on countries spanning from the UAE to Bahrain, Qatar and Oman, and consider necessary steps to restore stability and peace to the Middle East, according to a statement from state-run Saudi Press Agency. The states affirmed their right to respond to respond to Iran in “self-defense, either individually or collectively” and said GCC members “will take all necessary measures to defend their security and stability and to protect their territories, citizens, and residents, including the option to respond to the aggression.”
3) Oil surged the most in four years as traders gauged the impact of the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz triggered by US and Israeli strikes against Iran, with hostilities escalating across the region. Global benchmark Brent was more than 9% higher near $80 a barrel, after earlier rallying by as much as 13% to the highest since January 2025. Tanker traffic through the strait — the chokepoint off Iran’s coast that handles a fifth of the world’s oil and large volumes of gas — has largely halted, with a self-imposed pause in place by shipowners and traders as the conflict spreads.
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The US and Israel began striking targets across Iran, with President Donald Trump urging Iranians to overthrow the government in a conflict that threatens to spiral across the oil-rich Middle East.

“The hour for your freedom is at hand,” Trump said, addressing Iranians in a video posted on Truth Social on Saturday. “When we’re finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations.”

The military campaign could be a defining moment for Trump, risking a drawn-out regional war that leads to a surge in energy prices and American casualties ahead of mid-term elections this year. Iran quickly responded by firing missiles on Israel and US bases around the region, and countries in the Persian Gulf closed their airspace.

Israel’s military said the campaign would target “dozens of military targets,” and Iran media reported strikes on defensive and civilian sites, including more than 50 people dead in a strike on a school in Hormozgan, in the south of the country. Several large explosions were reported in the capital, Tehran.
Bloomberg's David Gura and Christina Ruffini lead our team coverage in this instant reaction podcast.
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Bloomberg Daybreak Weekend with Host Nathan Hager take a look at some of the stories we'll be tracking in the coming week.
In the US – a look ahead to the February jobs report, along with a focus on 3 stocks for the week ahead.
In the UK – a look ahead to "Made in Europe" the tagline of a new scheme to rejuvenate Europe's defense, energy, and manufacturing sectors.
In Asia – a look ahead to China PMI data.
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