U.S. stock futures ticked higher and oil prices slipped as President Donald Trump announced a temporary pause on planned strikes against Iran’s energy infrastructure.
Stocks Edge Higher While Oil Prices Decline Amid Iran Tensions
Dow futures rose 155 points, or 0.34%, to 46,385, while S&P 500 futures gained 19.75 points, or 0.30%, to 6,544.75. Nasdaq 100 futures advanced 53.75 points, or 0.23%, to 23,848.00.
In commodities, WTI crude futures fell 0.49% to $94.02 per barrel, while Brent crude declined 0.75% to $107.20 per barrel.
RBOB gasoline futures slipped 0.61% to $3.1111 per gallon and ULSD heating oil futures edged down 0.25% to $4.2626 per gallon.
Natural gas futures dropped 1.13% to $2.965 per MMBtu.
Meanwhile, the U.S. dollar index was nearly flat at 99.882, up 0.02%.
Asian markets were lower, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 falling 1.86% to 52,604.00, while South Korea’s KOSPI tumbled 4.24% to 5,228.77.
Trump Delays Iran Strike, Signals Progress In Talks
On Thursday, Trump took to Truth Social and said negotiations aimed at ending the ongoing conflict with Iran are “going very well,” announcing a delay in planned attacks on Iran’s energy facilities.
“As per Iranian Government request… I am pausing the period of Energy Plant destruction by 10 Days,” Trump wrote, adding that discussions are ongoing despite “erroneous statements” suggesting otherwise.
The delay pushes back potential U.S. military action as the conflict approaches the one-month mark.
Trump last weekend gave Iran a 48-hour ultimatum, warning he would “obliterate” its power plants—starting with the largest—if it failed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
By Monday, however, he extended the timeline to five days, saying talks to end the conflict were underway.
Tehran Has Denied Negotiations
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi previously stated that no formal negotiations have taken place.
“So far, no negotiations have taken place,” Araghchi said on Wednesday, noting that communications relayed through intermediaries do not constitute dialogue.
He added that Iran’s focus remains on “defending” itself.
Reports also indicate Iran has rejected a U.S. ceasefire proposal and presented its own terms.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Image via Shutterstock/ Joey Sussman
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