Dow falls 700 points as oil spikes on Middle East tensions

U.S. stocks plunged on Tuesday as investors eye growing tensions in the Middle East and their potential effects on inflation and global trade.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 700 points, or 1.5%, while the Nasdaq Composite and S&P 500 fell 1.37% and 1.33%, respectively.

Investors feared that the higher oil prices could fuel inflation and complicate central bank policy decisions already strained by tariff-driven price increases.

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