[News Brief] Apr 22, morning | Rising Tensions Following Israeli Strikes on Iranian Military Targets

Israeli Military Says It Struck Military Targets in Western and Central Iran

According to Odaily, the Israeli military said the Israeli Air Force carried out strikes on military targets of the Iranian regime in western and central Iran.

The announcement came amid continuing military tensions between Israel and Iran.

Iran Warns of Greater Retaliation if Israel Takes Further Action

Iran said it has completed military preparations in response to any further Israeli action and warned that it would launch larger-scale strikes if tensions escalate.

According to Odaily, Iran’s Tasnim News Agency, citing a military source on the 7th, reported that a large number of missiles remain on standby and that if Israel responds against Iran, Tehran could immediately strike a broader range of targets within areas controlled by Israel.

The source added that Iran is also preparing for the possibility of a broad military confrontation and stressed that Israel should take the warning seriously.

Israeli Defense Officials Say Monday Clashes Could Expand to War-Level Conflict

According to Odaily, Israel Today reported that Israeli defense officials believe Monday’s clashes could escalate to the level of war.

Officials also expect the confrontation between Israel and Iran could continue for several days. Geopolitical risks in the Middle East are considered a factor that could affect global investor sentiment toward risk assets.

Explosion Reported at Iran’s Karun Petrochemical Complex in Khuzestan Province

Odaily reported that an explosion occurred at the Karun Petrochemical Complex in Iran’s Khuzestan Province.

An Iranian provincial government official confirmed that part of the Karun Petrochemical Complex was damaged by an Israeli missile strike.

The report is being cited as another factor that could increase volatility in energy and commodities markets amid ongoing military tensions in the Middle East.

Korea Exchange Triggers Circuit Breaker After KOSPI Falls 8%

According to Odaily, the Korea Exchange activated a circuit breaker and halted trading for 20 minutes after the KOSPI index fell 8%.

A circuit breaker is a mechanism that temporarily suspends stock trading to reduce market shocks during steep declines.

Korea Exchange Triggers Circuit Breaker After Sharp KOSDAQ Drop

According to Odaily, the Korea Exchange also activated a circuit breaker and halted trading for 20 minutes following a sharp drop in the KOSDAQ index.

The KOSDAQ index fell 8%. A circuit breaker is a mechanism that temporarily pauses trading during sharp market swings to give investors time to reassess.

Goldman Sachs Removes Prospect of Fed Rate Cuts This Year From Forecast

Goldman Sachs removed the possibility of U.S. Federal Reserve rate cuts this year from its forecast, reflecting stronger-than-expected U.S. labor market conditions.

According to Odaily, Goldman Sachs economists pushed back the expected timing of the Fed’s final two rate cuts from December 2026 and March 2027 to June 2027 and December 2027.

Jan Hatzius, Goldman Sachs’ chief U.S. economist, said the likelihood of inflation becoming meaningfully entrenched again remains low, suggesting the probability of rate hikes is limited. However, the firm raised the chance of a modest rate hike from 10% to 20%.

Under its base-case scenario, Goldman Sachs still expects two 25bp rate cuts next year, but lowered that probability from 40% to 30%. It also revised down its U.S. unemployment rate forecast for this year from 4.6% to 4.4%.

Syscoin Reports Security Incident Involving Cross-Chain Bridge

According to Odaily, Syscoin said on X that a security incident occurred on its cross-chain bridge, involving approximately 5 billion SYS.

The attacker is believed to have exploited a validation issue in the bridge processing flow to create unauthorized SYS outputs on the UTXO side.

Syscoin said it has suspended the bridge and asked exchanges and partners to blacklist, freeze, or monitor SYS deposits associated with contaminated UTXO paths and subsequent spends.

The team added that it has identified the affected validation route and prepared a fix, and urged users not to use related functions while the bridge remains suspended.

BIT Says Stablecoins Saw $5 Billion to $6 Billion in Net Outflows Over the Past 30 Days

PANews, citing BIT analysis, reported that continued net outflows from stablecoins are weakening the liquidity foundation of the crypto market.

According to the analysis, net stablecoin outflows over the past 30 days are estimated at around $5 billion to $6 billion. While stablecoin supply growth supported market liquidity during the bull market, the market is now seeing both slowing capital inflows and rising volatility.

BIT said major cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, may continue to trade sideways until liquidity flows return.

JPMorgan Says Strategy May Need to Rebuild Dollar Reserves to Ease Bitcoin Sale Concerns

According to Odaily, JPMorgan analysts said Strategy may need to rebuild its dollar reserves to restore investor confidence and reduce concerns over potential future Bitcoin sales.

The analysts said the company’s recent sale of 32 BTC was interpreted by the market as an unexpected signal. The company’s current dollar reserves are estimated to cover only about 6.3 months of dividend payments.

JPMorgan said Strategy holds 843,706 BTC at an average purchase price of $75,699 and is currently sitting on an unrealized book loss of about $11.5 billion at current prices.

It also projected that the probability of crypto-related legislation passing this year is below 50%. However, the bank added that Strategy’s dividend policy and progress on crypto market structure legislation could be key variables for a market recovery in the second half of the year.