{"id":60370,"date":"2026-03-31T07:38:36","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T11:38:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/trump-slams-allies-as-middle-east-conflict-escalates-eli-lilly-inks-6-3b-biotech-deal\/60370\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T07:38:36","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T11:38:36","slug":"trump-slams-allies-as-middle-east-conflict-escalates-eli-lilly-inks-6-3b-biotech-deal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/trump-slams-allies-as-middle-east-conflict-escalates-eli-lilly-inks-6-3b-biotech-deal\/60370\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump Slams Allies as Middle East Conflict Escalates; Eli Lilly Inks $6.3B Biotech Deal"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/trump-slams-allies-as-middle-east-conflict-escalates-eli-lilly-inks-6-3b-biotech-deal\/60370\/#Key_Takeaways\" >Key Takeaways<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/trump-slams-allies-as-middle-east-conflict-escalates-eli-lilly-inks-6-3b-biotech-deal\/60370\/#Trump_Blasts_Allies_Suggests_%22America_First%22_Energy_Shift\" >Trump Blasts Allies, Suggests &quot;America First&quot; Energy Shift<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/trump-slams-allies-as-middle-east-conflict-escalates-eli-lilly-inks-6-3b-biotech-deal\/60370\/#Middle_East_Conflict_Enters_%22Occupation_Phase%22\" >Middle East Conflict Enters &quot;Occupation Phase&quot;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/trump-slams-allies-as-middle-east-conflict-escalates-eli-lilly-inks-6-3b-biotech-deal\/60370\/#Eli_Lilly_Inks_Multi-Billion_Dollar_Biotech_Deal\" >Eli Lilly Inks Multi-Billion Dollar Biotech Deal<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/trump-slams-allies-as-middle-east-conflict-escalates-eli-lilly-inks-6-3b-biotech-deal\/60370\/#Energy_Markets_and_Regulatory_Headwinds\" >Energy Markets and Regulatory Headwinds<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/trump-slams-allies-as-middle-east-conflict-escalates-eli-lilly-inks-6-3b-biotech-deal\/60370\/#Market_Summary_Pre-Market_Movers\" >Market Summary: Pre-Market Movers<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Key_Takeaways\"><\/span>Key Takeaways<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>President <a href=\"https:\/\/thestockmarketwatch.com\/live\/trump-stock-market\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Trump\">Trump<\/a> signaled a shift in U.S. strategy<\/strong>, reportedly telling aides he is willing to end the war with Iran without reopening the <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong>, prioritizing a diplomatic conclusion over a lengthy military campaign.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Eli Lilly (<a href=\"\/stock\/LLY\">LLY<\/a>) announced a $6.3 billion acquisition<\/strong> of <strong>Centessa Pharmaceuticals (<a href=\"\/stock\/CNTA\">CNTA<\/a>)<\/strong> to bolster its neuroscience pipeline with experimental sleep disorder treatments.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Geopolitical tensions reached a breaking point<\/strong> as Israel reportedly &quot;closed the door&quot; on negotiations, with plans to occupy southern Lebanon up to the <strong>Litani River<\/strong> within the next 2-3 weeks.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Global LNG supplies hit a 10-month low<\/strong> following the suspension of production in <strong>Qatar<\/strong> and continued disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, driving energy security concerns across Europe and Asia.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Microsoft (<a href=\"\/stock\/MSFT\">MSFT<\/a>) faces a new regulatory hurdle<\/strong> as the UK\u2019s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched a probe into its business software ecosystem and licensing practices.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Trump_Blasts_Allies_Suggests_%22America_First%22_Energy_Shift\"><\/span>Trump Blasts Allies, Suggests &quot;America First&quot; Energy Shift<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>U.S. President <strong>Donald <a href=\"https:\/\/thestockmarketwatch.com\/live\/trump-stock-market\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Trump\">Trump<\/a><\/strong> took to <strong>Truth Social<\/strong> on Tuesday to issue a scathing critique of European allies, specifically targeting <strong>France<\/strong> and the <strong>United Kingdom<\/strong>. Trump accused France of being &quot;very unhelpful&quot; for refusing to allow military supply flights headed for Israel to transit French airspace. He further criticized the UK for its perceived lack of involvement in the &quot;decapitation of Iran,&quot; referring to the successful elimination of a senior Iranian leader he labeled the <strong>&quot;Butcher of Iran.&quot;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In a significant policy pivot, the <em>Wall Street Journal<\/em> reported that Trump is prepared to conclude the military campaign against Iran even if the <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong> remains closed. Administration officials reportedly concluded that a mission to forcibly reopen the waterway would take <strong>four to six weeks<\/strong>, exceeding the President&#39;s desired timeline. Trump suggested that countries facing fuel shortages should simply <strong>&quot;buy from the U.S.&quot;<\/strong> or find the &quot;courage&quot; to secure the Strait themselves, stating the U.S. will no longer provide unconditional assistance.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Middle_East_Conflict_Enters_%22Occupation_Phase%22\"><\/span>Middle East Conflict Enters &quot;Occupation Phase&quot;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The conflict in the Middle East has entered a more volatile stage as <strong>Israeli forces<\/strong> continue shelling Beirut&#39;s southern suburbs. Senior Lebanese officials warned that Israel has effectively ended all negotiations, with the <strong>Israel Defense Forces (IDF)<\/strong> expected to complete a mission to occupy all territory south of the <strong>Litani River<\/strong> in the coming weeks. This escalation follows the deaths of <strong>UNIFIL peacekeepers<\/strong> in Lebanon, an incident that drew sharp condemnation from the <strong>EU Commission<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>While the U.S. focuses on a diplomatic exit, <strong>China and Pakistan<\/strong> met in Beijing to discuss a potential &quot;guarantor&quot; role for China in any future U.S.-Iran agreement. However, the situation on the ground remains dire, with <strong>Hezbollah<\/strong> vowing to resist the occupation and <strong>Iran<\/strong> denying that any formal negotiations with Washington are currently underway.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Eli_Lilly_Inks_Multi-Billion_Dollar_Biotech_Deal\"><\/span>Eli Lilly Inks Multi-Billion Dollar Biotech Deal<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In corporate news, <strong>Eli Lilly (<a href=\"\/stock\/LLY\">LLY<\/a>)<\/strong> reached a definitive agreement to acquire <strong>Centessa Pharmaceuticals (<a href=\"\/stock\/CNTA\">CNTA<\/a>)<\/strong> for approximately <strong>$6.3 billion<\/strong> upfront in cash. The deal, valued at <strong>$38 per share<\/strong>, includes additional contingent value rights (CVRs) that could bring the total price to <strong>$47 per share<\/strong> based on regulatory milestones. The acquisition centers on Centessa\u2019s <strong>orexin receptor 2 (OX2R) agonists<\/strong>, which are currently in Phase 2a testing for narcolepsy and other sleep-wake disorders.<\/p>\n<p>The move is seen as a strategic expansion of Lilly\u2019s neuroscience portfolio, utilizing the massive cash reserves generated by its <strong>GLP-1<\/strong> franchise. <strong>Centessa Pharmaceuticals (<a href=\"\/stock\/CNTA\">CNTA<\/a>)<\/strong> shares surged in <a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/markets\/pre-market\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Premarket Movers\">pre-market trading<\/a> on the news, as the deal is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Energy_Markets_and_Regulatory_Headwinds\"><\/span>Energy Markets and Regulatory Headwinds<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The energy sector is grappling with a severe supply crunch as <strong>global LNG supplies<\/strong> plummeted to a 10-month low. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has forced <strong>Qatar<\/strong> to suspend production, while <strong>Saudi Arabia<\/strong> is reportedly diverting exports through inland pipelines. <strong>Oil prices<\/strong> remained volatile; <strong>West Texas Intermediate (WTI)<\/strong> futures rose 0.3% to <strong>$103.17<\/strong>, while <strong>Brent crude<\/strong> hovered near <strong>$107.31<\/strong> as markets weighed the possibility of an early end to the conflict against the reality of a blockaded shipping lane.<\/p>\n<p>In the tech sector, <strong>Microsoft (<a href=\"\/stock\/MSFT\">MSFT<\/a>)<\/strong> is under fire from the UK\u2019s <strong>Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)<\/strong>. The watchdog is investigating whether Microsoft\u2019s licensing practices in the cloud and business software markets stifle competition. Meanwhile, <strong>McCormick (<a href=\"\/stock\/MKC\">MKC<\/a>)<\/strong> shares rose <strong>5.5%<\/strong> after the company reported an earnings and revenue beat, providing a rare bright spot in an otherwise tense market environment.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Market_Summary_Pre-Market_Movers\"><\/span>Market Summary: Pre-Market Movers<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>U.S. stock futures trended higher on Tuesday morning despite the geopolitical noise. The <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/markets\/sp500\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"snp500 today\">S&amp;P 500<\/a> (ES)<\/strong> rose <strong>0.7%<\/strong>, the <strong>Nasdaq-100 (NQ)<\/strong> gained <strong>0.6%<\/strong>, and the <strong>Russell 2000 (RTY)<\/strong> led the pack with a <strong>1.1%<\/strong> jump.<\/p>\n<p>The <strong>Magnificent Seven<\/strong> showed broad gains in the pre-market:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Microsoft (<a href=\"\/stock\/MSFT\">MSFT<\/a>)<\/strong>: +1.4%<\/li>\n<li><strong>Alphabet (<a href=\"\/stock\/GOOGL\">GOOGL<\/a>)<\/strong>: +1%<\/li>\n<li><strong>Meta (<a href=\"\/stock\/META\">META<\/a>)<\/strong>: +1%<\/li>\n<li><strong>Amazon (<a href=\"\/stock\/AMZN\">AMZN<\/a>)<\/strong>: +0.8%<\/li>\n<li><strong>Apple (<a href=\"\/stock\/AAPL\">AAPL<\/a>)<\/strong>: +0.7%<\/li>\n<li><strong>Nvidia (<a href=\"\/stock\/NVDA\">NVDA<\/a>)<\/strong>: +0.6%<\/li>\n<li><strong>Tesla (<a href=\"\/stock\/TSLA\">TSLA<\/a>)<\/strong>: +0.5%<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways President Trump signaled a shift in U.S. strategy, reportedly telling aides he is willing to end the war [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":50383,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"rank_math_schema_Article":[],"rank_math_focus_keyword":[],"rank_math_description":[],"financial_data_references":[],"stock_symbols_mentioned":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[5012],"tags":[5602,970,6468,1096,6773,4612,18200,4613,18201,4615,18202,4824,5030,5032,5249],"class_list":["post-60370","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-breaking-news","tag-msft-stock-msft","tag-wti","tag-aapl-stock-aapl-2","tag-cma","tag-lly-stock-lly","tag-es","tag-cnta-stock-cnta","tag-nq","tag-mkc-stock-mkc","tag-rty","tag-mag-7","tag-geopolitics","tag-energy","tag-middle-east","tag-idf"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60370","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60370"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60370\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/50383"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60370"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60370"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60370"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}