Oil futures have seen their biggest weekly drop in nearly two months as news swirled of a potential US-Iran deal that could see the Strait of Hormuz reopened and a ceasefire extended between Washington and Tehran.
Brent oil crude futures fell to $92.69 a barrel, a weekly drop of more than 10 percent.
Oil prices continue their upward incline, with Brent crude climbing to fresh intraday highs after reports of a drone strike targeting a key oil facility in the United Arab Emirates.
Brent rose above $115 a barrel shortly after 17:00 BST, gaining more than five percent on the day, following reports that the port of Fujairah had come under attack.
(Apr 21, 2026, 06:28:31 AM IST)
Asian stocks edged higher as signs Iran may join talks with the US fostered cautious optimism about progress in the Middle East ahead of a looming ceasefire deadline. Oil dropped.
The UK‘s main stock indexes dipped on Monday in broad-based losses as fears that the U.S.-Iran ceasefire could collapse weighed on sentiment.
The U.S. seized an Iranian cargo ship and traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained largely halted, sending crude oil prices more than 5% higher.
Oil prices dropped sharply and US stocks surged Friday after the Iranian foreign minister said the Strait of Hormuz will be “completely open” for commercial transit during the remainder of the ceasefire.
Brent crude, the global benchmark, fell 11.2%, to just below $88.25 per barrel. WTI, the US benchmark, sank 10.9% to $81.20 per barrel. Oil prices traded at their lowest levels in five weeks.
The Gaza Health Ministry has reported over 72,345 Palestinian deaths amid ongoing conflict, while Polymarket’s Netanyahu exit by June 30 contract sits at 5.5% YES, down from 8% a week ago.
The death toll figure adds pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu as the fragile ceasefire continues to face violations. The June 30 market is at 5.5% YES. The April 30 market is at 0.8% YES, showing deep skepticism about immediate political fallout.
In comments first reported by state media, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told EU Council president António Costa that Iran has „the necessary will to end this war“ but expects certain guarantees in exchange.
Pezeshkian also said on Monday that any end to the war in the Middle East must „guarantee the security and interests of the Iranian people,“ according to comments first published by the state news agency IRNA and reported by regional media.
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Traders reportedly placed $580 million in oil bets minutes before Donald Trump‘s post on Iran talks, triggering sharp moves in crude and stocks and raising questions over the timing of the trades
Oil prices spiked to nearly $120 per barrel this week, their highest level since the pandemic. At the opening of the Asian markets on Friday, the price stayed above $100 per barrel, despite Trump bending the knee to the Kremlin dictator.
The Financial Times reported Thursday that Russia was already the biggest winner from Trump’s war, raking in as much as $150 million per day in extra budget revenues from oil sales.
But Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, after announcing the move to release the sanctioned oil, said it “will not provide significant financial benefit to the Russian government.”
March 10, 2026)
Russian media was awash Monday and Tuesday with headlines and analysis about how the soaring oil prices will affect the country, but also its adversaries in the West. “Eastern Strike: Oil Price Could Surpass $150” read the headline in Russia’s pro-government Izvestia newspaper.
Elsewhere, firebrand pro-Kremlin TV host Olga Skabeyeva quipped Tuesday about people in the neighboring NATO nation of Estonia having to walk because public transport was already running out of fuel.
After Putin‘s meeting Monday, President Donald Trump appeared to hand him another gift as he suggested his administration was lifting sanctions on “some countries” to stabilize the oil market.
The Stock Exchange of Thailand Index jumped more than 3% on Monday after election results showed the Bhumjaithai Party was in command in forming a new coalition government.
Other markets across Asia also advanced, with South Korea‘s Kospi surging 4% and some other benchmarks gaining more than 1%.
U.S. futures edged higher after the U.S. stock market roared back on Friday as technology stocks recovered much of their losses from earlier in the week and bitcoin halted its plunge.
The S&P 500 rallied 2% for its best day since May. The Dow Jones Industrial Average soared 1,206 points, or 2.5%, and topped the 50,000 level for the first time, while the Nasdaq composite leaped 2.2%.
(January 28, 2026)
In 2005, Wall Street believed housing could never fail. Ratings agencies laughed off the idea of defaults, banks printed money, and experts said the system was safe. One man disagreed. John Paulson bet against the housing market — and when it collapsed, he made over $20 billion while millions lost their homes
In a Truth Social post later in the day, Trump called the threatened tariffs off and announced a “framework” for a deal concerning the island, but offered few details about an agreement.
Crucial Quote
“I think it puts everybody in a really good position especially as it pertains to security and minerals and everything else,” Trump told reporters.
(July 8, 2015)
In der Hierarchie unter den „Systemrelevanten“ herrscht Unruhe. Statt den Demokratien Europas fällt nun ein Sack Aktienkurse in China die Treppe runter. Eine kurze Erläuterung.
Zur Zeit fallen an den Geldmärkten in China die Aktienkurse. Vom schlimmsten Crash der Geldhändler seit 2007 ist die Rede. Offensichtlich ist dabei den Wenigsten unter 7 Milliarden KundInnen bewusst, dass dies im Zusammenhang mit dem nun auch für chinesische „Investoren“ flöten gehenden Abbaugebiet namens „Eurozone“ zu sehen ist.
Die Geldhändler-Seite „Bloomberg“ erläuterte diesbezüglich immerhin, dass der chinesische Premier Li Keqiang bei seinem Besuch in Brüssel Ende Juni 2015 auf „einen starken Euro und ein vereinigtes Europa“ drängte. Warum er das tat, will den Menschen so recht keiner erklären, jedenfalls keiner der Populären.
Über die Rolle dieser „Volksrepublik“ bei der systemischen Zersetzung und Entstaatlichung der Demokratien im Einflussbereich der „Europäischen Union“ und des Finanzsystems „Euro“ schrieb ich im Juli 2011:
„Dieser nach Strategie zwei und drei der von Noam Chomsky „Zehn Stragien der Manipulation“ geführte Staatsstreich von Banken, „Europäischer Union“ und „Internationalem Währungfonds“ gegen die als beliebige Konkursmasse der Alten Weltordnung betrachteten Staaten des Alten Europas, findet übrigens in der neuen Tributzone Amerikas, in China, eine sowohl verschwiegene, wie äußerst effektive Unterstützung. China strebt, entsprechend der hier bereits umschriebenen Vier Zonen der Ökonomie, von der Rolle der Handelszone (niedrige Währung, niedrige Löhne, niedriger Lebensstandard) auf zur Tributzone Amerikas.“
In currency markets, the euro recovered from an early dip to rise 0.3% to $1.1628, while sterling clawed its way back up to $1.3389.
The dollar eased 0.4% against the Swiss franc to 0.7988 francs, and 0.2% against the yen to 157.80.
(October 18, 2020)
Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit on Sunday evening rejected the appeal made by the Movement for Quality of Government, which demanded that the investigation into the infamous case 3000 submarine sale scandal be expanded and that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu be questioned with a warning.
He further noted that there is no reason to intervene in Netanyahu‘s sale of personal stocks before the submarine acquisition, in accordance with his decision not to open a criminal investigation against the prime minister in case 3000.
Teresa Ribera, the European Commission’s executive vice president, also said Europe was too divided to do anything about the starvation, displacement and killing of Palestinians.
“The genocide in Gaza exposes Europe’s failure to act and speak with one voice, even as protests spread across European cities and 14 U.N. Security Council members call for an immediate ceasefire,” Ribera told students at Sciences Po in a speech Thursday morning.
“What we’re now witnessing in Gaza is perhaps one of the darkest episodes of international relations in the 21st century, and in this regard what I have to say is that Spain has been very vocal within the EU and also within the international community,” he said. “Within the EU, what we have done so far is advocate to suspend the strategic partnership that the EU has with Israel.”
In a letter to a lawmaker published by the central bank, Governor Gabriel Makhlouf said the approval for Israel‘s programme would be transferred to Luxembourg upon the expiry of the prior year‘s prospectus on Monday.
The new prospectus published on the website of Israel Bonds, the country‘s borrowing vehicle for diaspora bonds, said its programme for the next year had been approved by Luxembourg.
“The Central Bank’s approval of the 2024 prospectus will expire today, 1 September 2025. Accordingly, from 2 September 2025, it will not be possible for the state of Israel to offer bonds under the 2024 prospectus,” he said, referring to an Israeli bond prospectus issued on in September 2024
“In accordance with the provisions of the prospectus regulation concerning home member states and the transfer of approval (Article 20(8)), the competent authority of Luxembourg approved a new prospectus for the state of Israel today, 1 September 2025 (the 2025 prospectus).
In fact, high-profile investors and business leaders in the Big Apple are up in arms about the stunning win by the democratic socialist in the primary to win the Democratic nomination to serve as the next New York City mayor. The three-term Assemblymember’s potential victory in the November general election could bring what the Street hates most — tax hikes and tighter regulation threatening corporate and investment interests.
US stocks surged on Monday after President Donald Trump’s top trade officials brokered a surprisingly dramatic de-escalation in trade tensions with China over the weekend, dropping tariffs to much lower levels, which some economists say could stave off a US recession.
Dow futures rose more than 1,000 points, or 2.6%. S&P 500 futures were 3% higher, and Nasdaq futures gained 3.9%.
Most modern domestically developed Chinese platforms have not yet been battle-tested, said Eric Zhu, a defence analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. “So having the combat record is a plus for their export potential.”
While Indian sources have disputed some aspects of these claims, the market response was immediately felt. Dassault Aviation, which had seen a rise in stock value due to strong Rafale sales, witnessed a minor drop. On the other hand, reports of shares of Chengdu Aircraft Corporation, the producer of Pakistan’s J-10C and JF-17 jets, surged.
The initial market reaction suggested that the scale of the tariffs had come as a surprise to investors around the world.