US–Iran war news: S&P 500, Dow Jones and Nasdaq reaction: The U.S. and Israel launched coordinated military strikes on Iran Saturday, and markets responded immediately. Dow Jones dropped 521 points, the S&P 500 fell 0.43%, and the Nasdaq shed 0.92% before Friday's close. Gold prices jumped nearly 11% in February. Oil rose above $72. The S&P 500 fell 0.43%. Now investors are asking: are defense stocks the real winners, or are gold and silver the ultimate safe havens in the US–Iran conflict? Defense stocks like Lockheed Martin and RTX often rise when war tensions increase. They benefit from long-term military contracts and massive backlogs. But gold and silver remain classic safe-haven assets. Gold trades above $5,296. Silver is climbing. During geopolitical crises, capital usually moves first to precious metals.
