{"id":58492,"date":"2026-02-13T22:08:26","date_gmt":"2026-02-14T02:08:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/u-s-debt-crisis-deepens-as-military-prepares-for-sustained-campaign-against-iran\/58492\/"},"modified":"2026-02-13T22:08:26","modified_gmt":"2026-02-14T02:08:26","slug":"u-s-debt-crisis-deepens-as-military-prepares-for-sustained-campaign-against-iran","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/u-s-debt-crisis-deepens-as-military-prepares-for-sustained-campaign-against-iran\/58492\/","title":{"rendered":"U.S. Debt Crisis Deepens as Military Prepares for Sustained Campaign Against Iran"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>U.S. student loan serious delinquencies<\/strong> surged to a record <strong>16.19%<\/strong> in Q4 2025, marking the most severe consumer credit crisis in decades.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Debt stress in the technology sector<\/strong> has intensified, with distressed loans reaching <strong>15.69%<\/strong> in February 2026, the highest level since the 2022 bear market.<\/li>\n<li>The <strong>Pentagon is deploying the USS Gerald R. Ford<\/strong> to the Middle East as Washington intensifies military and diplomatic pressure on Tehran.<\/li>\n<li>Senior officials report that the <strong>U.S. military is preparing for a sustained campaign<\/strong> against Iran that could last several weeks if ordered by President Donald Trump.<\/li>\n<li>The White House has confirmed that <strong>&quot;all options are on the table&quot;<\/strong> regarding Iran, signaling a potential shift from limited strikes to a broader conflict.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Geopolitical Tensions Escalate in the Middle East<\/h2>\n<p>The United States military is actively preparing for a <strong>prolonged, sustained military campaign<\/strong> against Iran that could last several weeks. According to senior officials, this planning represents a significant escalation from previous &quot;one-off&quot; strikes, with potential targets including <strong>Iranian state and security facilities<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>The <strong>Pentagon is deploying the USS Gerald R. Ford<\/strong> to the Middle East to join existing assets like the USS Abraham Lincoln. This move comes as President Donald Trump warns that the alternative to a diplomatic solution would be <strong>&quot;very traumatic&quot;<\/strong> for the Iranian regime. A White House spokesperson reiterated that the President has <strong>&quot;all options on the table&quot;<\/strong> to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.<\/p>\n<p>Analysts suggest these movements could trigger significant volatility in energy markets, potentially impacting the United States Oil Fund (<a href=\"\/stock\/USO\">USO<\/a>). <em>The shift toward a &quot;sustained campaign&quot; suggests the administration is prepared for a back-and-forth conflict rather than a singular deterrent action.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>Tech Sector Faces Highest Debt Stress Since 2022<\/h2>\n<p>The U.S. technology sector is experiencing a sharp rise in credit risk, with the share of tech loans trading at <strong>distressed levels climbing to 15.69%<\/strong> in February 2026. This figure represents the highest level of sector-wide debt stress since the peak of the <strong>2022 bear market<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>While industry giants like Nvidia (<a href=\"\/stock\/NVDA\">NVDA<\/a>) and Microsoft (<a href=\"\/stock\/MSFT\">MSFT<\/a>) continue to lead in earnings growth, the broader sector is struggling with a <strong>&quot;SaaS apocalypse&quot;<\/strong> as private credit conditions tighten. Data indicates that over <strong>$46.9 billion<\/strong> in technology debt has now fallen to non-performing levels.<\/p>\n<p>Investors in the Invesco QQQ Trust (<a href=\"\/stock\/QQQ\">QQQ<\/a>) are closely monitoring these credit conditions. <em>Market experts warn that a &quot;software-PE death spiral&quot; could emerge if plummeting valuations continue to trigger stricter lending conditions from private creditors.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>Student Loan Delinquencies Hit Crisis Levels<\/h2>\n<p>U.S. student loan delinquencies have reached what experts describe as <strong>crisis levels<\/strong>, with the share of loans in serious delinquency (90+ days past due) hitting a record <strong>16.19%<\/strong> in the final quarter of 2025. This surge follows the expiration of pandemic-era repayment pauses and the subsequent <strong>resumption of credit reporting<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>The Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) reported that more than <strong>9 million borrowers<\/strong> have missed at least one payment, contributing to a total delinquency pool of <strong>$1.7 trillion<\/strong>. This spike is already causing steep declines in credit scores, which could limit consumer access to mortgages and auto loans.<\/p>\n<p>Financial institutions like JPMorgan Chase &amp; Co. (<a href=\"\/stock\/JPM\">JPM<\/a>) and Goldman Sachs (<a href=\"\/stock\/GS\">GS<\/a>) are bracing for the ripple effects of this consumer credit strain. <em>The high delinquency rate among borrowers aged 40-49 suggests that the crisis is no longer confined to recent graduates, but is impacting the core of the U.S. workforce.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways U.S. student loan serious delinquencies surged to a record 16.19% in Q4 2025, marking the most severe consumer 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