{"id":60846,"date":"2026-04-13T10:38:18","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T14:38:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/trump-warns-iran-as-ceasefire-teeters-us-housing-sales-slump-in-march\/60846\/"},"modified":"2026-04-13T10:38:18","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T14:38:18","slug":"trump-warns-iran-as-ceasefire-teeters-us-housing-sales-slump-in-march","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/trump-warns-iran-as-ceasefire-teeters-us-housing-sales-slump-in-march\/60846\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump Warns Iran as Ceasefire Teeters; US Housing Sales Slump in March"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>President <a href=\"https:\/\/thestockmarketwatch.com\/live\/trump-stock-market\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Trump\">Trump<\/a> claims the Iranian Navy has been &quot;completely obliterated,&quot;<\/strong> with <strong>158 ships<\/strong> allegedly destroyed, while warning that any remaining &quot;fast attack ships&quot; approaching the U.S. blockade will be <strong>&quot;immediately eliminated.&quot;<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Iran is reportedly considering abandoning uranium enrichment<\/strong> as a primary U.S. condition for ending the ongoing conflict, following the failure of negotiations in <strong>Islamabad<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>U.S. Existing Home Sales fell 3.6% in March<\/strong> to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of <strong>3.98 million<\/strong>, missing economist estimates of <strong>4.05 million<\/strong> as high prices persist.<\/li>\n<li><strong>China\u2019s Foreign Minister described the current ceasefire as &quot;very fragile,&quot;<\/strong> urging the international community to intensify peace talk efforts and oppose escalatory actions.<\/li>\n<li><strong>BofA Global Research downgraded NXP Semiconductors (<a href=\"\/stock\/NXPI\">NXPI<\/a>)<\/strong> to <strong>Neutral<\/strong> from Buy, cutting its price target to <strong>$230<\/strong> from $245.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Geopolitical Tensions Flare Amid Fragile Ceasefire<\/h2>\n<p><strong>U.S. President Donald <a href=\"https:\/\/thestockmarketwatch.com\/live\/trump-stock-market\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Trump\">Trump<\/a><\/strong> issued a stark warning to Tehran via <strong>Truth Social<\/strong>, stating that the <strong>Iranian Navy<\/strong> is &quot;lying at the bottom of the sea&quot; with <strong>158 ships destroyed<\/strong>. Trump emphasized that while U.S. forces had previously spared a small number of &quot;fast attack ships,&quot; any attempt by these vessels to approach the <strong>U.S. blockade<\/strong> would result in their immediate destruction. This rhetoric comes as the <strong>New York Post<\/strong> reports that <strong>Iranian officials<\/strong> are seriously studying the possibility of <strong>abandoning uranium enrichment<\/strong> to meet a key U.S. demand for ending the war.<\/p>\n<p>The diplomatic path remains fraught with obstacles following the collapse of negotiations in <strong>Islamabad<\/strong>. Reports suggest the <strong>Iranian delegation<\/strong> was unable to communicate effectively with leadership in <strong>Tehran<\/strong>, leading to a breakdown in talks. <strong>China\u2019s Foreign Minister<\/strong> echoed these concerns, stating through <strong>Xinhua<\/strong> that the current ceasefire is <strong>&quot;very fragile&quot;<\/strong> and that the priority must be maintaining momentum for a permanent peace.<\/p>\n<h2>U.S. Housing Market Hits March Slump<\/h2>\n<p>On the domestic front, the <strong>U.S. housing market<\/strong> showed signs of significant cooling in March. <strong>Existing Home Sales<\/strong> dropped <strong>3.6% month-over-month<\/strong> to an annual rate of <strong>3.98 million<\/strong>, falling well short of the <strong>4.05 million<\/strong> units anticipated by analysts. This represents a sharp reversal from the revised <strong>4.13 million<\/strong> units recorded in February.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the drop in sales volume, the <strong>median home price<\/strong> for existing homes rose to <strong>$408,800<\/strong>, a <strong>1.4% increase<\/strong> from March 2025. Market participants are closely watching these figures as <strong>ECB official Boris Vujcic<\/strong> noted that while energy prices remain stable due to the <strong>U.S.-Iran ceasefire<\/strong>, any escalation in the conflict could trigger a fresh inflationary spike in energy costs.<\/p>\n<h2>Corporate and Central Bank Developments<\/h2>\n<p>In equity markets, <strong>BofA Global Research<\/strong> turned cautious on the semiconductor sector, downgrading <strong>NXP Semiconductors (<a href=\"\/stock\/NXPI\">NXPI<\/a>)<\/strong> to <strong>Neutral<\/strong>. The firm lowered its price objective to <strong>$230<\/strong>, citing broader market pressures and shifting demand profiles. The move reflects a more circumspect outlook for chipmakers as geopolitical uncertainty continues to cloud global supply chains.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, the <strong>Bank of England<\/strong> has reportedly secured <strong>U.S. approval<\/strong> for a new framework designed to rescue failed lenders. This regulatory milestone, reported by the <strong>Financial Times<\/strong>, is intended to strengthen cross-border financial stability. As markets digest these headlines, analysts like <strong>Harry Daniels<\/strong> warn investors to remain &quot;circumspect&quot; given the high volume of conflicting reports emerging from ongoing geopolitical negotiations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways President Trump claims the Iranian Navy has been &quot;completely obliterated,&quot; with 158 ships allegedly destroyed, while warning that 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