US stock market indices plummeted Thursday evening in the wake of a surge in oil prices, which coincided with a high-profile address by President Donald Trump from the White House.
Approximately 30 minutes into trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average had plummeted by 1.0 percent, reaching a value of 46,108.16.
The S&P 500, a broad-based index, dropped 0.9 percent to 6,516.01, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index suffered a 1.3 percent decline, settling at 21,556.30.
In a prime-time address from the White House on Wednesday, Trump cautioned that further military action could send Iran back to a bygone era, stating that the US was “very close” to achieving its objectives.