Hopes for a peace deal with Iran waned on Sunday, raising the risk that the global energy crisis will drag on and leaving the U.S. to weigh military operations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Futures tied to the Dow Jones industrial average fell 200 points, or 0.40%. S&P 500 futures were down 0.33%, and Nasdaq futures lost 0.28%.
U.S. oil futures rose 2.7% to $97.97 a barrel, while Brent crude climbed 2.7% to $104.01. Gold fell 0.76% to $4,695 per ounce.
The U.S. dollar was up 0.2% against the euro and up 0.14% against the yen. The yield on the 10-year Treasury was steady at 4.36%.
On Sunday, Iran responded to the U.S. ceasefire offer, saying talks must focus on permanently ending the war on all fronts, including in Lebanon.
Sources also told the Wall Street Journal that Iran proposed gradually reopening the strait as the U.S. lifts its naval blockade.
While nuclear issues would be negotiated during a 30-day window, Tehran rejected demands to dismantle its nuclear facilities and suspend uranium enrichment for 20 years, the report said. Iran also requested the release of its frozen funds abroad.
Trump soon blasted Iranâs response as âtotally unacceptableâ without pointing to any specific proposals. He earlier accused Tehran of âplaying gamesâ with the U.S. for nearly 50 years, but added, âThey will be laughing no longer!â
Analysts pointed out that Iranâs position has changed little, indicating the leadership believes it has the upper hand and is unwilling to budge.
Unless the Strait of Hormuz opens soon, global oil stockpiles will soon start hitting critically low levels and trigger a spike in prices.
Last week, Trump attempted to break the deadlock by announcing a military effort to guide commercial ships out of the Persian Gulf. A few ships made it through the strait as U.S. destroyers fought off Iranian attacks. But less than two days later, he paused Project Freedom.
Earlier on Sunday, Energy Secretary Chris Wright told CBS Newsâ Face the Nation that the U.S. âdid stop Project Freedom at Iranâs request.â
âIf we militarily reopen the straitâwhich is a challenge, itâs not a one or two-day endeavor, thatâs an effort to do thatâthey said, âWait a minute, wait a minute, letâs make a deal. Letâs make a deal, weâll agree to reopen it. Letâs engage in the talks about the nuclear program, and letâs make a deal,’â he added.
The pause in Project Freedom was meant to pursue a deal with Iran, but âif itâs clear in the next few days that thereâs not a good path to a negotiated settlement, weâll go back to the military method to open the strait,â Wright warned.
This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
