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Mojtaba Khamenei’s Rise Sparks Market Turmoil as Hardliners Mobilize

People attend a gathering to support Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, March 9, 2026.  Iran’s hardline factions mounted a powerful show of support for newly appointed Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei , rallying across Tehran in a display that signaled a tightening of conservative control and diminished hopes for de-escalation in the Middle East.  The demonstrations, marked by mass gatherings and imagery linking Mojtaba to his late father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, underscored the regime’s consolidation at a moment of heightened regional conflict.  Analysts warn that the hardliners’ unified backing suggests Iran is unlikely to soften its stance amid ongoing tensions with the U.S. and Israel. Global markets reacted sharply. Fears that prolonged instability could further disrupt energy supplies sent oil prices soaring and triggered steep declines in major stock indices. With one of the most significan...

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Resilient Workforce: U.S. Jobless Claims Dip to 213,000 Amid Stability

 

The latest data from the U.S. Labor Department shows that initial jobless claims fell by 7,000 to 213,000 for the week ending February 8, outperforming economists’ expectations of 215,000. This decline is a positive indicator of a robust labor market, where layoffs remain historically low, despite ongoing economic uncertainties. 

Complementing this data, January’s employment report revealed an increase of 143,000 nonfarm payroll jobs, with the unemployment rate holding steady at 4.0%. These figures suggest that businesses are largely retaining their workforce, a factor that has enabled the Federal Reserve to pause further interest rate cuts as it assesses economic conditions. 

While some sectors are experiencing isolated job cuts amid persistent inflation and cautious corporate strategies, the overall picture points to a stable and resilient labor market. The sustained strength in job retention continues to support economic expansion, even as policymakers and businesses navigate a complex economic landscape.

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