HSBC and Standard Chartered temporarily suspend expansion in the Middle East, halt new lending, as the Iran conflict increases operational risks, prompting several banks to redirect investments.

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2026-03-12 20:03:31

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March 13, 2026

HSBC and Standard Chartered temporarily halt Middle East expansion and stop new lending
Increased operational risks due to Iran conflict, several banks shift investment focus

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In recent years, the global financial industry has actively expanded its Middle East operations, but the Iran conflict has caused many multinational banks to slow down their expansion. Bloomberg quoted sources saying that several banks, including HSBC (00005) and Standard Chartered (02888), recently informed Middle Eastern clients that they would suspend issuing new loans in the region. Banks from Greater China, Japan, and Singapore are also reviewing their local operations and risk exposures, with some planning to allocate related resources to other markets such as South Korea and Australia.

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