On Sunday evening, U.S. stock futures traded mixed as investors weighed an escalating military campaign against Iran, rising American casualties and renewed concerns over oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.
Oil Prices Jump As Dow Futures Slip
Dow futures slipped 12.00 points, or 0.02%, to 52,363.00, while S&P 500 futures gained 5.00 points, or 0.07%, to 7,502.75. Nasdaq 100 futures advanced 82.25 points, or 0.29%, to 28,855.50 as of around 8:57 p.m. EDT.
In commodities, WTI crude oil rose 2.06% to $84.19 per barrel, while Brent crude gained 2.33% to $90.15 per barrel. Natural gas futures fell 0.82% to $2.887 per MMBtu.
Meanwhile, the U.S. dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of currencies, stood at 100.793, up 0.04% on the day.
Asian markets were lower, with South Korea’s KOSPI declining 1.64% to 6,708.54 and Japan’s Nikkei 225 falling 4.03% to 64,141.12.
US Launches Ninth Straight Night Of Strikes Against Iran
The U.S. military carried out a ninth consecutive night of strikes against Iran on Sunday, with U.S. Central Command saying the latest operations began around 7 p.m. ET.
“The strikes will continue degrading Iranian military capabilities used to attack commercial vessels and civilian mariners transiting the Strait of Hormuz,” CENTCOM wrote.
Iranian state media and the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported explosions in several cities, including Tabriz, Chabahar, Konarak, Bandar Mahshahr, Bandar Imam Khomeini, Jask, Sirik and Bushehr, CNN reported.
The latest operation followed another night of U.S. attacks as Washington continues its military campaign in response to Iranian strikes and efforts to secure one of the world’s most critical oil shipping routes.
Trump Reacts As US Troop Death Toll Climbs To 17
The Pentagon said a third U.S. service member had been killed in the recent fighting, while unidentified remains were recovered near the site of an earlier Iranian attack that had left two American troops dead and another missing.
The latest casualty brings the total number of U.S. military deaths since the conflict began in February to 17.
Speaking to reporters after returning from the FIFA World Cup final, President Donald Trump expressed sympathy for the fallen troops, the report added.
“We feel very badly, but you know those great people, those great patriots … out there fighting that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said.
The president also signaled the military campaign would continue.
“Iran has been very, very badly damaged. They’ve lost everything almost militarily. They’ve got very little left,” Trump said, adding that the U.S. “hit them very hard again tonight.”
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Below the Sky / Shutterstock
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