The war in Iran began five months ago. Headline news about the conflict tends to focus on when and how it might end. In the meantime, the impacts of the conflict are felt worldwide—by drivers, farmers, business owners, and families. The Associated Press shares the stories of seven people suffering because of the war. Among them is Edgar Funelas, a jeepney driver in the Philippines who lives with his ten-year-old daughter:
He uses laundry soap—harsher, but cheaper—to wash his body and his clothes in the same motion, stretching what little money he has. Even before the war in Iran, he was living on the margins. A fire took their home and their belongings, forcing them to move into the brightly colored minibus he drove.
He’d hoped to be able to rent a room by now. Then diesel prices surged, and he could no longer afford the fuel to run his jeepney.
He hasn’t earned a single peso in days. There will be no breakfast. Hunger gnaws, but it’s the small rituals of privacy that he misses most: to be able to wash out of sight, to sleep behind walls, to keep his desperation from being laid bare.
Since the outbreak of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran in late February 2026, the six largest Wall Street banks have posted one blockbuster quarter after another. It’s a paradox that isn’t really one: market volatility — the very thing savers and businesses dread — is precisely what trading desks feed on.
Numbers That Boggle the Mind
On July 14, 2026, five of the biggest US banks reported earnings on the same day, and the results surprised even the most bullish analysts. JPMorgan Chase, the nation’s largest bank by assets, posted quarterly profit of $16.9 billion, once again driven by its equities trading division, which “took advantage of market volatility triggered by the war in Iran.” Revenue in that division jumped 35% year-over-year, and equity markets revenue soared 86%.
According to several financial outlets, JPMorgan’s profit — including gains on its equity holdings — actually came close to $21 billion for the quarter, an all-time record for the bank.
Goldman Sachs was no exception: the investment bank also handily beat forecasts, lifted both by conflict-driven volatility and by SpaceX’s record-breaking IPO, which Goldman co-led. Its merger-advisory fees rose 55%, and in the first half of 2026 alone it advised on $1.2 trillion in announced mergers and acquisitions — an unprecedented pace for any investment bank, putting it $425 billion ahead of its nearest rival.
All told, in the second quarter of 2026 alone, the five biggest banks combined (JPMorgan, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup and Wells Fargo) posted roughly $49 billion in combined profit. In the first quarter, the six largest US banks — those five plus Morgan Stanley — had already collectively booked nearly $48 billion in profit, well above year-earlier levels.
Why Does War Benefit the Banks?
The mechanism is no mystery to market professionals, even if it startles the general public. A trading floor doesn’t make money when markets are calm — it makes money when they move. Every geopolitical jolt — a military strike, a rumored ceasefire, a partial closure of the Strait of Hormuz — triggers waves of buying and selling across stocks, currencies and commodities. Every transaction generates fees.
Since the first US-Israeli strikes on February 28, 2026, bond, oil and stock markets have swung wildly with each twist of the conflict and every dashed hope of a truce. That chronic instability has directly fueled investment banks’ trading revenues.
On top of that comes an indirect effect: the war slowed, then unleashed in waves, mergers-and-acquisitions activity and IPOs — two highly lucrative businesses for investment banks, which collect substantial advisory fees on every deal.
Goldman Sachs itself acknowledges as much in black and white in its quarterly financial report filed with the US securities regulator (SEC): the Iranian conflict has had “significant implications for the global economy,” combining disrupted oil supply, higher oil prices and heightened equity-market volatility — precisely the ingredients of the trading desk’s playbook.
A Paradox That Goes Beyond the Banks
This phenomenon isn’t confined to the banking sector. Major oil companies — especially European majors with large trading arms, such as TotalEnergies — have seen profits surge on the back of price swings following the partial closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a route for roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and gas. Defense contractors, for their part, are reporting record order backlogs, led by Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Northrop Grumman, buoyed by allied nations rearming.
Meanwhile, households and non-financial businesses bear the flip side of that same volatility: higher energy prices, costlier freight, and mounting uncertainty for long-term investment. The conflict has thus become a vast transfer of wealth, in which the very instability harming the real economy is simultaneously enriching a handful of financial and industrial players positioned to capitalize on it.
At a Glance
Q1 2026: the six largest US banks combined for nearly $48 billion in profit.
Q2 2026: five of them posted roughly $49 billion in combined quarterly profit.
JPMorgan: record quarterly profit of nearly $21 billion (including gains).
Goldman Sachs: M&A advisory fees up 55%, with its M&A backlog at a five-year high.
Mechanism: market volatility, driven by the twists and turns of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran since February 28, 2026, has mechanically boosted investment banks’ trading and advisory revenues.
Yesterday (Friday, July 31st), U.S. Embassies in the Middle East put out their strongest warnings since the Iran War started that Americans should prepare to leave due to an escalation in the Iran war. The warnings now come from 10 countries in the Middle East where Americans live.
Get ready to flee, Americans in ten countries warned as US embassies issue stark alert over spiraling Iran war
Americans have been told to be ‘ready’ to flee ten Middle Eastern countries as the Iran war spirals, with President Trump warning: ‘We’ll be hitting them very hard.’
The US Embassy has urgently advised US citizens across the Middle East to ‘consider departing or be ready to depart if there is an escalation,’ just hours after Trump signaled fresh strikes on Iran could come as soon as this weekend.
The warning now covers 10 countries: the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Oman, Iraq, Jordan, Israel, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and, most recently, Egypt.
‘US Embassies across the Middle East have issued security alerts today advising travelers to exercise heightened vigilance and be prepared for flight cancellations and airspace closures,’ the initial alert said.
Less than an hour later, a second alert announced that the warning had also been issued by the US Embassy in Cairo, Egypt.
For the first time, the warning told Americans in the region they should ‘consider departing, or be prepared to depart should there be escalation,’ bringing the guidance in line with other Middle Eastern countries.
‘The situation in the Middle East remains fluid,’ the alert read.
It comes after sources told CBS News on Friday that the US and Israel are preparing what was described as ‘one of the harshest bombing campaigns to date’ against Iran’s energy infrastructure.
While the president has not yet given the final green light, several insiders told the outlet that strikes could begin as soon as this weekend, with Israel already notified and coordinating with Washington.
‘The Department of War is locked and loaded, ready to execute the President’s directives at a moment’s notice,’ Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement, though refused to comment on intended targets.
Of course, we have heard all of this before, where threats were made to increase the war, or promises were made to negotiate a settlement.
And each time the war in Iran becomes the main topic in the corporate news stream, the U.S. stock markets fall in line.
In the current cycle, the price of oil per barrel dropped below $90 a barrel Friday, so perhaps this announcement, shortly after Netanyahu visited Trump in D.C., was designed to mainly increase the price of oil again, which in turn generally brings the Tech heavy NASDAQ down, since so much energy is needed to power data centers and AI.
Now, Trump is capitalizing even more from being able to use his position in the White House to manipulate markets with news on the Iran War, by selling “early access” to his Truth Social posts for $100,000.
Trump offering early access to online posts in move seen as corruption
Truth Social, where Trump’s account is by far the largest, to offer users early access for up to $100,000 per month
Donald Trump is now offering early access to his Truth Social posts in a move that has been seen as corruption benefitting a sitting president.
Trump Media and Technology Group officially rolled out its new subscription-based data service on Saturday, giving paying customers faster, real-time access to Truth Social posts from Trump and other high-profile accounts.
Called Truth API, the application programming interface is intended to provide businesses with “a direct, licensed, real-time feed of the platform’s most market-moving Truths”, interim CEO Kevin McGurn said in a release announcing the launch. Trading firms and other paying subscribers can now access the posts earlier than other users – for a fee of up to $100,000 per month.
Critics argue the service is blatant evidence of market manipulation and insider trading. Trump has repeatedly used Truth Social to reveal significant policy moves with the potential to shift financial markets, including posts involving tariffs and the Iran war.
Last year, Trump published more than 100 Truth Social posts in a single day while global stock markets tumbled amid concerns that his economic agenda could trigger a “Trumpcession” in the US.
His posts about Iran have drawn particular attention because investors remain concerned that rising oil prices could keep inflation elevated and potentially lead the Federal Reserve to increase interest rates.
Trump Media’s stock has fallen by more than 70% since the president took office last year, wiping out roughly $6bn (£4.4bn) in shareholder value.
Those losses, combined with billions more in investor losses connected to new Trump family cryptocurrency ventures, have come under increased scrutiny after Trump’s annual financial disclosure showed he generated more than $1 billion in revenue last year from the same companies and offerings.
Iranian intelligence is using commercial advertising technology to detect the locations of American troops and carry out targeted strikes against them, Newsmax reports.
The technology relies on targeted advertising systems that use precise GPS coordinates. This unclassified location data is freely bought and sold by data brokers, with virtually no restrictions on who can purchase it
The tracking is tied to user accounts rather than specific devices, meaning that changing phones does not stop the surveillance
Iran also monitors videos and photos posted by soldiers on social media, revealing base layouts, troop movements, and defensive positions
Days earlier, Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US CENTCOM, sent a letter to service members warning that social media posts are helping Iran determine troop locations and assess the effectiveness of its strikes on American bases.
One example cited: a US soldier’s video, filmed with Meta smart glasses and posted on Instagram, showed troops running for cover during an Iranian attack on the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan on July 17. The footage revealed the exact location of the base and the evacuation route to the bunker.
Some troops in Jordan have already been told their phones will be confiscated in the coming days. Yet the looming threat of phone seizures has deepened the unease among soldiers’ families, already jittery from months of Iranian reports about deadly attacks on US bases in the region.
Open-source information has become Iran’s most effective reconnaissance tool, and the US military is struggling to contain the damage.
Epstein Attorney Alan Dershowitz Debates Professor Marandi of Tehran about Who is Actually Committing Genocide
Dershowitz is practically foaming at the mouth in this debate, as the Zionists are quickly losing control of the narrative.
Saudi Arabia’s Choice: Join Trump in Bombing Iraq. Monumental Mistake
Fourteen countries have signed on to Saudi Arabia’s proposed Maritime Defense Alliance protecting ships traversing the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Saudi Crown Prince Bin Salman held a conversation with Vance and Trump wherein he condemned the US continued strikes on Iran and said this alternate route would be protected from Houthi attacks. While Trump was offered membership in the alliance, his ego has yet to confirm US involvement wherein he is not the boss.
The latest collaboration of bombing was just extended as the Saudis joined the US in bombing Iraq, bringing Iraq closer in alignment with Iran and their backers Russia and China.
This is a move Bin Salman will regret as Saudi Arabia will now be the focus for retaliation, playing into the hands of Israel as extending their proxy to pit the Middle Eastern countries against each other while preserving Israel. The real pariah. Netanyahu is laughing. Bin Salman will find himself in the same courtyard as Hussein and Assad. And Israel will set its sights on Saudi oil.
An ally for a singular purpose and once achieved – an enemy.
Netanyahu has returned home after telling Trump in no uncertain terms that there will be NO DEAL with Iran. He scolded Vance for not being Jewish enough and publicly humiliated him for the record. Netanyahu avoided New York this trip but vows he will attend a UN conference in September despite calls for his arrest.
THE CIRCULAR: Israel tells Trump to attack Iran because Israel hates Iran. Trump complies putting the US in the crosshairs and Americans at risk. Israel tells Trump to defend the Strait after it’s ‘unexpected’ closure by Iran. Troops die. Netanyahu comes to DC to force Trump to continue the unrelenting bombing of Iran and make no deal. Trump claims he will bomb Iran and 93 million citizens to smithereens. Netanyahu applauds and says Iran started the war.
Generals warn Trump the US military arsenal is squeezed and we need to backoff until inventories can be replenished which would take 2-5 years. Netanyahu’s last warning to Trump: If Iran attacks Israel, vengeance will be swift and complete. Netanyahu resumes bombing in Lebanon, crossing Iran’s red line.
It would appear a lot of blackmail was reiterated during Netanyahu’s brief visit. And everyone has been thus warned… Bowed head. Folded hands. Promises kept.
Morocco is opening its border and allowing upwards of 2,000 immigrants to cross into Spain.
Morocco is an ally of Israel.
Any country that defies Israel’s global dominance is subject to destruction, whether by fires or by immigrants or by weather anomalies. There are exactly two countries who continue to defy that breach of sovereignty – China and Russia.
Russians Waking up to the Fact that Putin is Controlled Opposition and Part of Chabad Lubavitch – The Satanic Jews
Who REALLY Runs RUSSIA? HERE IS THE TRUTH THAT MANY DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT.
This article was written by Human Superior Intelligence (HSI)
See Also:
Understand the Times We are Currently Living Through
The stakes in the Iran War have increased significantly during the past few days, as Yemen’s Ansar Allah (Houthis) has bombed a key Saudi Arabian oil plant in Aramco, and has effectively closed down traffic flowing through the Red Sea, in addition to traffic being halted through the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf.
I am including two video reports here today that give a great overall perspective on the current situation, without the corporate media propaganda.
The first one is an interview with Professor Seyed Marandi from last night who actually lives in Tehran and has inside information, and the second report is from the Transition Protocol with ex-CIA agent Larry Johnson, Pepe Escobar, and Zulfiqar Ali that aired just hours before I published this article today, Sunday, July 26, 2026.
Marandi reiterates that there are no military solutions for the U.S. or Saudi Arabia at this point. He believes that the Trump administration is looking for an off-ramp, while acknowledging that they could also re-start the bombing at any point, and carry out their threats to target Iranian key infrastructure.
To do so, however, from Marandi’s perspective, is to then give a green light to Iran to start bombing American bases in the Gulf again, and take out the infrastructure of the Gulf Nations, such as their water desalinization plants, as well as bomb their ports to make it impossible for them to export their oil.
Iran is still hoping that the Gulf States will back down from supporting the U.S. military bases in their countries, because the U.S. cannot save them.
In the Transition Protocol discussion, Larry Johnson exposes the propaganda from earlier this week when Trump promised to help Saudi Arabia build a nuclear plant, by reminding everyone that the U.S. has only produced 2 nuclear power plants in the past 26 years (one of which was 30 years late), while Russia has built about 60, and China probably even more than that, during the same time period.
China is heavily invested in Saudi Arabia, and it would seem it is just a matter of time that Saudi Arabia will see that their only path forward is to work with China, and not with the U.S. who not only cannot protect them from Iranian missiles, but cannot protect them from their neighbors in Yemen either, because they build these drones and missiles for pennies on the dollar compared to the U.S. ones they rely upon.
Saudi Arabia is running out of options, and the one thing that is not discussed in either of these videos, is the fact that Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in U.S. Big Tech and AI during the past few years, and is as leveraged in the AI bubble as U.S. Big Tech is.
Keep a close eye on the markets this week, as Trump might be out of tricks to keep it going now, as the AI bubble draws closer to bursting while at the same time the price of diesel fuel and other petroleum products continue to climb as we head forward to what could be a total economic collapse soon.
This article was written by Human Superior Intelligence (HSI)
See Also:
Understand the Times We are Currently Living Through
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The technology relies on targeted advertising systems that use precise GPS coordinates. This unclassified location data is freely bought and sold by data brokers, with virtually no restrictions on who can purchase it
