Late Tuesday, U.S. stock futures climbed as easing fears of an immediate escalation in the Middle East lifted sentiment, even as tensions between Washington and Tehran remained high.
Futures Rise As Investors Weigh Geopolitical Relief
Dow futures rose 233.00 points, or 0.47%, to 49,572.00, while S&P 500 futures gained 37.50 points, or 0.53%, to 7,137.50 and Nasdaq 100 futures advanced 176.25 points, or 0.66% as of 8:33 p.m. EDT.
In commodities, WTI crude oil slipped 0.33% to $89.37 per barrel. Brent crude edged down 0.20% to $98.28 per barrel.
RBOB gasoline futures declined 0.76% to $3.1853 per gallon, while natural gas futures fell 0.56% to $2.682 per MMBtu.
ULSD heating oil bucked the trend, rising 0.45% to $3.7457 per gallon.
Meanwhile, the U.S. dollar index stood at 98.325, down 0.08%.
Asian markets were lower, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 slipping 0.07% to 59,307.45, while South Korea’s KOSPI fell 0.13% to 6,380.34.
Trump Extends Ceasefire, Keeps Pressure On Iran
Donald Trump said he has extended the ceasefire with Iran just hours before its expiration, citing ongoing diplomatic efforts.
In a post on Truth Social, he said the pause would remain in place “until such time as their leaders… come up with a unified proposal.”
However, Trump also confirmed that the U.S. Navy’s blockade of Iranian ports would continue, a move Tehran has described as an act of war.
Tehran Pushes Back, Calls Move A ‘Ploy’
Iranian officials appeared skeptical of the extension.
Mahdi Mohammadi, an adviser to parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, said the move was “a ploy to buy time for a surprise strike,” warning that Iran could respond forcefully to the ongoing blockade.
There was no immediate response from Iran’s top leadership, but state-linked media reiterated threats to break the blockade, Reuters reported.
Pakistan Steps In As Mediator, Again
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the ceasefire extension followed Islamabad’s request to allow diplomacy to continue.
“I sincerely hope that both sides will continue to observe the ceasefire and be able to conclude a comprehensive ‘Peace Deal’ during the second round of talks scheduled at Islamabad for a permanent end to the conflict,” he said on X.
However, there was no clarity on when—or even whether—the second round of talks would take place.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Image via Shutterstock/ noamgalai
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