Race To Avert Israel-Iran War, Oil Holds Steady & iPhone Shipments Plunge

Your morning briefing, the business news you need in just 15 minutes.On today's podcast: (1) The huge salvo of missiles and drones launched from the arid plains of Iran toward Israel was the kind of direct conflict between the Middle East powers that the world had long feared would mark the explosion of a full-blown regional war. (2) Iran’s weekend attack on Israel with more than 300 missiles and drones marks a perilous turn for a fragile region. It was an unprecedented action, the first strike on the Jewish state from Iranian soil. Iran declared it a massive success. (3) Oil shrugged off Iran’s unprecedented attack on Israel, with prices easing on speculation that the conflict would remain contained. But markets are showing higher volatility as global traders turn to the dollar and gold.(4) Apple’s iPhone shipments slid a bigger-than-projected 10% in the March quarter, reflecting flagging sales in China despite a broader smartphone industry rebound. (5) German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will take a delicate message to China this week: Beijing has not acted on European warnings to end discriminatory business practices and failure to do so will result in an escalation in tensions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.