{"id":59712,"date":"2026-03-12T15:38:30","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T19:38:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/netanyahu-signals-iran-regime-change-as-irgc-threatens-global-energy-infrastructure\/59712\/"},"modified":"2026-03-12T15:38:30","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T19:38:30","slug":"netanyahu-signals-iran-regime-change-as-irgc-threatens-global-energy-infrastructure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/netanyahu-signals-iran-regime-change-as-irgc-threatens-global-energy-infrastructure\/59712\/","title":{"rendered":"Netanyahu Signals Iran Regime Change as IRGC Threatens Global Energy Infrastructure"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Israeli PM Netanyahu<\/strong> declares Israel is &quot;reshaping the Middle East&quot; and aims to prevent <strong>Iran<\/strong> from moving its nuclear and ballistic projects into impenetrable underground bunkers.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Iran&#39;s Revolutionary Guard (IRGC)<\/strong> warns that any attack on its energy infrastructure will result in the &quot;burning&quot; of oil and gas facilities across the entire region, threatening to push prices to <strong>$200 per barrel<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>President Donald <a href=\"https:\/\/thestockmarketwatch.com\/live\/trump-stock-market\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Trump\">Trump<\/a><\/strong> has intensified pressure on the <strong>Federal Reserve<\/strong>, demanding an immediate interest rate cut via <strong>Truth Social<\/strong> to support the economy during the ongoing conflict.<\/li>\n<li><strong>U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent<\/strong> confirms the <strong>U.S. Navy<\/strong> will begin escorting commercial vessels through the <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong> once air superiority is fully established.<\/li>\n<li>The <strong>U.S. Department of Energy<\/strong> announced a <strong>$1.9 billion investment<\/strong> in critical grid infrastructure to stabilize electricity costs for American households.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Israeli Prime Minister <strong>Benjamin Netanyahu<\/strong> held his first major press conference on Thursday since the outbreak of the war with <strong>Iran<\/strong>, signaling a shift in regional strategy. Netanyahu stated that while Israel can &quot;create the conditions&quot; for regime change in Tehran, the ultimate responsibility lies with the <strong>Iranian people<\/strong> to take to the streets. He emphasized that Israel&#39;s current military priority is preventing the <strong>Islamic Republic<\/strong> from moving its nuclear and ballistic missile programs into deep underground facilities, which he claimed would make them &quot;immune&quot; to future strikes.<\/p>\n<p>The Prime Minister also highlighted an unprecedented level of coordination with the <strong>United States<\/strong>, revealing that he speaks with <strong>President Donald <a href=\"https:\/\/thestockmarketwatch.com\/live\/trump-stock-market\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Trump\">Trump<\/a><\/strong> on a &quot;near-daily basis.&quot; Netanyahu asserted that Israel is emerging as a regional and, in some sectors, a global power as it deals &quot;heavy blows&quot; to the <strong>IRGC<\/strong> and <strong>Basij<\/strong> forces. He further warned that <strong>Hezbollah<\/strong> would pay a &quot;heavy price&quot; for its continued aggression, as Israel seeks to fundamentally reshape the security architecture of the Middle East.<\/p>\n<p>In response to the escalating strikes, <strong>IRGC<\/strong> officials issued a dire ultimatum through state media, threatening to destroy oil and gas infrastructure across the Middle East if Iran&#39;s own energy sites are targeted. This &quot;eye for an eye&quot; policy has sent shockwaves through energy markets, with analysts at <strong>JPMorgan<\/strong> and <strong>Goldman Sachs<\/strong> monitoring the potential for a total blockade of the <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong>. Major energy players like Exxon Mobil (<a href=\"\/stock\/XOM\">XOM<\/a>) and Chevron (<a href=\"\/stock\/CVX\">CVX<\/a>) are facing heightened volatility as the threat of regional energy &quot;burning&quot; looms over global supply chains.<\/p>\n<p>On the domestic front, <strong>President Trump<\/strong> took to <strong>Truth Social<\/strong> to criticize <strong>Federal Reserve<\/strong> Chair <strong>Jerome Powell<\/strong>, demanding that the central bank cut interest rates immediately rather than waiting for the next scheduled policy meeting. <em>The President&#39;s demand reflects growing concern over the economic toll of the conflict<\/em>, as military costs for the first week of fighting were estimated at <strong>$11.3 billion<\/strong>. Market participants are closely watching the SPDR <a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/markets\/sp500\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"snp500 today\">S&amp;P 500<\/a> ETF Trust (<a href=\"\/stock\/SPY\">SPY<\/a>) and the iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (<a href=\"\/stock\/TLT\">TLT<\/a>) for signs of a pivot in monetary policy.<\/p>\n<p>U.S. Treasury Secretary <strong>Scott Bessent<\/strong> provided further clarity on maritime security, stating that the <strong>U.S. Navy<\/strong> will escort tankers in the Gulf &quot;as soon as it is militarily possible.&quot; Bessent is scheduled to travel to <strong>France<\/strong> on March 15-16 with U.S. Trade Representative <strong>Jamieson Greer<\/strong> to meet with <strong>China&#39;s Vice Premier He Lifeng<\/strong>. This high-level meeting is expected to address global trade stability and potential business deals, including a possible purchase of aircraft from Boeing (<a href=\"\/stock\/BA\">BA<\/a>), ahead of a planned summit between <strong>Trump<\/strong> and <strong>Xi Jinping<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>In a move to protect the domestic economy from rising energy costs, the <strong>U.S. Department of Energy<\/strong> announced a <strong>$1.9 billion SPARK funding opportunity<\/strong> for grid upgrades. This investment aims to modernize the nation&#39;s power grid and reduce electricity costs by replacing aging lines with higher-capacity conductors. Utility companies such as FirstEnergy (<a href=\"\/stock\/FE\">FE<\/a>), Exelon (<a href=\"\/stock\/EXC\">EXC<\/a>), and Otter Tail (<a href=\"\/stock\/OTTR\">OTTR<\/a>) are expected to be key participants in these infrastructure projects as the administration prioritizes &quot;unleashing American energy&quot; amid global instability.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways Israeli PM Netanyahu declares Israel is &quot;reshaping the Middle East&quot; and aims to prevent Iran from moving its 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