WASHINGTON (March 5, 2026) – Iran’s retaliatory attacks across the Middle East have hit U.S. embassies and Gulf oil facilities, stoking fears of an ongoing conflict. Global markets were rapidly impacted, with the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average posting sharp declines as investors pulled back from risk amid uncertainty over the war’s economic impact.
In addition, traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important location for oil shipments, has come to a halt as ship owners take precautionary measures. About a third of the world’s total seaborne oil exports passed through the Strait in 2025. Gas and energy prices have also spiked significantly, raising concerns about supply shortages and prolonged economic instability.
For more analysis on these developments, please consider professor Rodney Lake, a teaching instructor of finance and the director of the GW Investment Institute at the GW School of Business. Lake can help investors understand and contextualize the sinking stock market. Lake currently oversees GW Investment Institute’s day-to-day operations. Prior to this role, he worked as a senior investment officer in the GW Investment Office and was previously a senior financial analyst in the Executive Vice President and Treasurer’s Office at GW.
To schedule an interview, please contact Claire Sabin at claire [dot] sabin
gwu [dot] edu (claire[dot]sabin[at]gwu[dot]edu).
-GW-