{"id":62971,"date":"2026-06-10T20:08:17","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T00:08:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/iran-shuts-strait-of-hormuz-following-renewed-u-s-airstrikes-japan-business-sentiment-slumps\/62971\/"},"modified":"2026-06-10T20:08:17","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T00:08:17","slug":"iran-shuts-strait-of-hormuz-following-renewed-u-s-airstrikes-japan-business-sentiment-slumps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/iran-shuts-strait-of-hormuz-following-renewed-u-s-airstrikes-japan-business-sentiment-slumps\/62971\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran Shuts Strait of Hormuz Following Renewed U.S. Airstrikes; Japan Business Sentiment Slumps"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Iran has officially closed the Strait of Hormuz to all vessel traffic<\/strong>, including oil tankers and commercial ships, following a second day of <strong>U.S. &quot;self-defense strikes&quot;<\/strong> on Iranian military facilities.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Japan&#39;s Business Survey Index (BSI) for large manufacturers plunged to -1.8 in Q2 2026<\/strong>, down from 3.8 in the previous quarter, as rising energy costs and geopolitical instability weigh on industrial sentiment.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Foreign investors pulled \u00a5701.0 billion from Japanese stocks<\/strong> in the week ending June 5, marking a significant acceleration in outflows as global risk appetite wanes.<\/li>\n<li><strong>President Donald Trump confirmed that Israel was not involved<\/strong> in the latest round of U.S. strikes, characterizing the operations as a direct response to Iranian aggression and the downing of a U.S. Apache helicopter.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Middle East Escalation: Strait of Hormuz Shuttered<\/h2>\n<p>The global energy market faces a severe supply shock as <strong>Iran\u2019s top joint military command<\/strong> announced the total closure of the <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong> late Wednesday. The move follows a series of <strong>U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM)<\/strong> strikes targeting ammunition depots and command centers in southern Iran, including <strong>Bandar Abbas<\/strong> and <strong>Qeshm Island<\/strong>. Iran has vowed a &quot;decisive military response&quot; to any further U.S. actions, stating that any vessel attempting to transit the waterway will be targeted.<\/p>\n<p>The closure of the world\u2019s most critical oil chokepoint has sent <strong>Brent <a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/energy\/crude-oil\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"12\" title=\"Crude oil\">crude oil<\/a><\/strong> prices surging toward <strong>$104 per barrel<\/strong>. Analysts at <em>BloombergNEF<\/em> warn that while inventories have cushioned the initial blow, a prolonged closure could lead to a &quot;multifaceted crisis&quot; for global industries, particularly European chemicals and Asian energy importers. <strong>President Donald Trump<\/strong> defended the strikes on <em>Fox News<\/em>, asserting that the U.S. would &quot;hit them hard&quot; until a new deal is reached, while clarifying that <strong>Israel<\/strong> remains on the sidelines of this specific operation.<\/p>\n<h2>Japan\u2019s Industrial Sentiment Turns Negative<\/h2>\n<p>In Asia, the economic fallout is becoming visible in <strong>Japan\u2019s<\/strong> latest manufacturing data. The <strong>Business Survey Index (BSI)<\/strong> for large all-industry firms dropped to <strong>-0.5 in Q2<\/strong>, while the manufacturing-specific index fell to <strong>-1.8<\/strong>. This represents a sharp reversal from the <strong>3.8<\/strong> recorded in Q1, as Japanese firms grapple with the <em>volatility of the yen<\/em> and the skyrocketing cost of imported fuel.<\/p>\n<p>Capital flow data for the week ending June 5 further highlights the cautious stance of global investors. <strong>Foreign buying of Japanese bonds<\/strong> swung to a massive <strong>net sell of \u00a51,038.5 billion<\/strong>, compared to a previous inflow of <strong>\u00a51,245.8 billion<\/strong>. Similarly, <strong>foreign outflows from Japanese stocks<\/strong> reached <strong>\u00a5701.0 billion<\/strong>, even as domestic investors like SoftBank Group (<a href=\"\/stock\/SFTBY\">SFTBY<\/a>) have seen volatile trading amid the broader tech-sector uncertainty.<\/p>\n<h2>Market Implications and Outlook<\/h2>\n<p>The simultaneous hit of a major geopolitical blockade and deteriorating sentiment in the world\u2019s fourth-largest economy has created a &quot;perfect storm&quot; for global markets. While some analysts point to <strong>Nvidia (<a href=\"\/stock\/NVDA\">NVDA<\/a>)<\/strong> and AI-related capital as a potential floor for tech equities, the broader macro environment is increasingly dominated by <em>inflationary fears<\/em> driven by energy disruptions.<\/p>\n<p>Investors are now closely monitoring <strong>CENTCOM<\/strong>&#39;s naval escort operations and any potential diplomatic backchannels. However, with Iran refusing to yield to what it calls &quot;political blackmail&quot; and the <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong> remaining a &quot;no-go zone,&quot; the short-term outlook for global trade and Japanese industrial output remains deeply challenged.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways Iran has officially closed the Strait of Hormuz to all vessel traffic, including oil tankers and commercial ships, 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