Time To Hedge Iran War Risk
Time To Hedge Iran War Risk
Over the last few weeks, the Iran situation has gone from background noise to a live geopolitical risk. The U.S. has already surged one carrier strike group led by the USS Abraham Lincoln into the region, and a second group built around the USS Gerald R. Ford is now crossing the Atlantic toward the Strait of Gibraltar to join it. Together, that’s a lot of floating firepower parked within reach of Iran.
At the same time, the U.S. has moved dozens of advanced combat aircraft—including F-22s, F-35s, and F-16s—toward the Middle East, along with aerial refueling tankers and additional missile defense systems. That combination of carriers, fighters, tankers, and missile defenses is exactly what you’d assemble if you wanted the option to launch and sustain strikes against Iran’s military and infrastructure, and still have enough coverage to manage retaliation in the Gulf and around key shipping lanes.
Meanwhile, Tehran has been conducting missile and naval drills near the Strait of Hormuz and has stepped up its own signaling, while the Pentagon keeps emphasizing that “all options are on the table.” In other words: diplomacy is ongoing, but both sides are clearly positioning for the possibility that talks fail and things go kinetic.
Betting On A Volatility Spike During A Volatility Decline
Volatility, however, pulled back today rather than spiking, which is exactly the kind of window when it makes more sense to pay for protection—before the next headline hits the tape—than to scramble after everyone else suddenly decides they need a hedge too. In the Portfolio Armor Substack, we took advantage of today's pullback to add a VIX hedge during Wednesday's session. Subscribers can see the specific hedge we used below.
🚨Hedging Iran War Risk🚨
— Portfolio Armor (@PortfolioArmor) February 18, 2026
Taking advantage of today's drop in volatility to hedge against an American (or American-Israeli) attack on Iran. https://t.co/vHhn1FPFP5
If you'd like a heads up in real time next time we place our next trade, you can subscribe to the Portfolio Armor Substack below.
And if you want to scan for your own hedges, you can use our website or iPhone app.
