Dow slides toward 2026 low as inflation fears and Iran conflict weigh on markets

U.S. stock futures edged lower after a rough session in which the Dow tumbled about 768 points to a 2026 closing low, as hotter inflation signals and the Iran conflict kept investors cautious. Dow futures fell roughly 0.1%, with S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures down about 0.2% and 0.3%; oil prices rose, with Brent near $113.5 a barrel and WTI around $97. Micron beat on revenue but its stock slid over 4% in extended trading. Investors await weekly jobless claims and the Philly Fed index, while global markets remained in the red. The duration of the Iran war looms large, shaping inflation and growth expectations and the path of Federal Reserve policy, with markets pricing roughly a 50/50 chance of a rate hold in 2026.