Mortgage deals shrink by a fifth since outbreak of Iran war March 23, 2026 The number of mortgage deals on offer for homeowners have shrunk by nearly a fifth since war broke out in Iran just over three weeks ago. Just shy of 1,500 fewer residential mortgages were available on Monday morning, compared with March 9, amounting to a contraction of 19.5 per cent. According to financial information platform [...]
Trump’s call to pause strikes in Iran boosts markets March 23, 2026 Global markets leaped on news that President Trump paused strikes on Iranian infrastructure as he hinted that negotiations had been “very good and productive”. Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil prices – plunged back to below $100 per barrle after having jumped to $112 earlier in the day. The FTSE 100 also rose [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks jittery after Trump’s latest TACO; Oil price slips March 23, 2026 Welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. Markets are in recovery mode after a dramatic intervention from President Donald Trump slapped a delay on his bombastic ultimatum. Trump issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Iranian regime on Saturday night, where he called for the full re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz. The strait is a [...]
What is the long-term plan for the Strait of Hormuz? March 23, 2026 The disruption of the critical Strait of Hormuz by Iran has created a major global energy crisis that requires a high-risk military solution – but the West currently lacks both the determination and a coherent long-term plan. says Eliot Wilson Today is a red-letter day for Middle East navigational hazard enthusiasts: five years ago, at [...]
The UK is being “dragged into” Iran war says Badenoch March 21, 2026 Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has said the UK is being “dragged into” the Iran war “whether we like it or not” after the nation fired missiles at joint UK-US base. Badenoch argued Starmer can longer “sit on the fence” after the attempted strikes on Saturday morning, before criticising him for not backing the US to [...]
Hargreaves Lansdown services resume after technical glitch March 21, 2026 The UK’s largest DIY investment platform Hargreaves Lansdown has confirmed clients can once more access their accounts after a technical problem on Friday brought operations to a standstill. The platform reported that it was “no longer seeing” the earlier technical issues in a statement on Friday evening, with customers once more able to make transactions. [...]
Starmer to convene emergency meeting over Iran war price shock March 21, 2026 Prime Minister Keir Starmer will convene an emergency meeting of senior cabinet ministers and the governor of the Bank of England next week, as prices continue to soar amid the Middle East conflict. The meeting will discuss plans to help households with the rising cost of living caused by the war in Iran, according to [...]
Exclusive: Formula 1 teams scramble to move freight stuck in Middle East March 20, 2026 Formula 1 teams are scrambling to access key racing components stuck in the Middle East due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the wider Iran conflict, Morning Wire can reveal. The regional tensions have already caused both the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Grands Prix to be postponed, and potentially cancelled, leaving a [...]
Energy watchdog: Work from home and avoid flying amid oil crisis March 20, 2026 The world’s energy watchdog has urged people to work from home to mitigate soaring oil prices and supply constraints caused by the intensifying Iran conflict. The International Energy Agency (IEA) said people should limit commuting where possible as the impact on markets and national economies becomes “more and more severe”. The advice was part of [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Gilt yields soar, Bank of England rate hike fears grow, Wetherspoon shares tumble March 20, 2026 Good morning from the Morning Wire liveblog team. Stocks made gains on Friday morning after a statement from Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu that he could see “this war ending a lot faster than people think” reassured markets that conflict in the Middle East could soon recede. The remarks follow further missile strikes by the US [...]