Late Wednesday, U.S. stock futures were mixed as President Donald Trump said Iran wants to negotiate even as U.S. forces launched a second wave of strikes against Iranian military targets, lifting oil prices amid fears of further disruption in the Middle East.
Stock Futures Mixed As Oil Prices Climb
Dow futures rose 32.00 points, or 0.06%, to 52,932.00, while S&P 500 futures gained 2.00 points, or 0.03%, to 7,616.75. Nasdaq 100 futures slipped 47.75 points, or 0.16%, to 29,645.50 as of around 8:50 p.m. EDT.
In commodities, WTI crude oil rose 0.64% to $80.11 per barrel, while Brent crude gained 0.48% to $85.36 per barrel. Natural gas futures fell 0.82% to $2.90 per MMBtu.
Meanwhile, the U.S. dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of currencies, stood at 100.451, down 0.04% on the day.
Asian markets were lower, with South Korea’s KOSPI declining 6.00% to 6,847.27 and Japan’s Nikkei 225 falling 3.18% to 66,567.11.
Trump Says Iran Wants Talks As US Intensifies Military Action
Speaking in an interview with Fox Business before a roundtable event in Pennsylvania, Trump said Iran had reached out seeking talks.
“We received a call just as I was coming here that they want to meet,” Trump said, adding that Iran’s military capabilities had been significantly weakened.
His remarks came as U.S. Central Command, or CENTCOM, announced it had launched a second round of strikes against Iranian military targets within 12 hours.
According to CENTCOM, the strikes targeted military assets used to threaten commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, including coastal defense systems and cruise missile infrastructure on Greater Tunb Island.
The latest operation followed an earlier wave of strikes Wednesday morning, after Trump warned that military action would intensify if Iran failed to engage in negotiations.
Iran Signals Readiness To Fight While Leaving Door Open To Diplomacy
Despite Trump’s comments, Iranian officials maintained a defiant stance.
Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Iran had never sought war but remained prepared for battle while also supporting diplomacy to protect the country’s interests, CNBC reported, citing a statement given to Iranian state media.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Treasury announced new sanctions targeting an international network accused of procuring weapons for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps following attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
Earlier this week, Trump proposed a 20% fee on cargo moving through the Strait of Hormuz but dropped the plan on Tuesday, saying Gulf nations would instead compensate the U.S. through investments.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Image via Shutterstock/ Below the Sky
Recent Comments