Late Tuesday, markets wavered and oil prices climbed. Earlier in the day, President Donald Trump signaled optimism over a potential Iran deal.
Markets Edge Lower, Oil Prices Climb
Dow futures fell 12.00 points, or 0.02%, to 50,022.00, while S&P 500 futures declined 10.00 points, or 0.14%, to 7,379.50 and Nasdaq 100 futures slipped 72.75 points, or 0.25%, to 28,644.00 as of 8:32 p.m. EDT.
In commodities, WTI crude oil rose 1.18% to $96.20 per barrel, while Brent crude gained 0.88% to $102.16 per barrel as of 1:33 a.m. BST.
Natural gas futures dropped 0.33% to $2.721 per MMBtu.
Meanwhile, the U.S. dollar index stood at 98.049, up 0.04% as of 06:14 GMT+5:30.
In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 surged 3.99% to 61,885.48, while South Korea’s KOSPI slipped 0.55% to 7,343.79.
Trump Signals Optimism: ‘They Want To Make A Deal’
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said, “They want to make a deal. We’ve had very good talks over the last 24 hours and it’s very possible that we’ll make a deal,” Reuters reported.
Earlier in the day, he had warned of potential military action, saying the possibility of an agreement was a “big assumption” and suggesting bombing operations could resume if talks fail.
Iran Weighs US Peace Proposal
On Wednesday, Iran also said that it is evaluating a U.S. peace proposal that could officially end the war.
However, as per the report major sticking points — including Tehran’s nuclear program and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz — remain unresolved.
Negotiators were close to a one-page memorandum that could formally end the conflict and open discussions on restoring Strait of Hormuz shipping, easing U.S. sanctions and limiting Iran’s nuclear program, the report added, citing a Pakistani source and another person familiar with the talks.
It remains unclear how the proposal differs from Iran’s 14-point plan unveiled last week, and Tehran has yet to formally respond.
Iranian lawmaker Ebrahim Rezaei dismissed the proposal as “more of an American wish-list than a reality.”
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf mocked reports of a breakthrough, saying on social media that “Operation Trust Me Bro failed.”
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Image via Shutterstock/ Joshua Sukoff
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