Whirlpool shares drop by about 20% to 21% after the company warns that the war in Iran is triggering a recession-level decline in the appliance industry. In comments cited by multiple outlets, Whirlpool links the deterioration to a sharp fall in consumer confidence in the United States during late February and March. The company describes the downturn as an unusually severe “rapid deterioration” in economic conditions, with the effect extending beyond sectors directly tied to the conflict. Forbes, CNBC, and the Washington Times report that Whirlpool attributes a first-quarter revenue decline to this collapse in sentiment, treating it as an industry-wide slowdown rather than a Whirlpool-specific issue. The New York Post adds that Whirlpool’s CEO characterizes the level of industry decline as comparable to conditions seen during the global financial crisis and, in some respects, worse than other recessionary periods. Across the reports, the common thread is Whirlpool’s assessment that the Iran war is driving consumer hesitancy and demand weakness, reflected immediately in the company’s stock performance.