'Fear index' soars 15.5% amid Israel-Iran clashes

The VIX volatility index, also known as the "fear index," soared by 15.52% on Friday amid continuing hostility between Iran and Israel.

Israel began its military operation early Friday, targeting Iran's nuclear and military facilities and killing its top military commanders and scientists. The attacks continued until Friday night, with cities such as Tehran, Natanz, Tabriz, and Isfahan hit.

Iran then launched a retaliatory attack, Operation True Promise III, on Friday night.

The VIX, which is used as a barometer for market uncertainty, rose by 2.8 points to 20.82 as of 2030 GMT.