Asia-pacific markets: U.S., Iran, Negotiations
An electronic stock board displays the Nikkei 225 Stock Average outside a securities firm in Tokyo, Japan, on Jan. 28, 2025.
Toru Hanai | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Asia-Pacific markets opened mixed Thursday, as Iran’s parliamentary speaker charged the U.S. of breaching the terms of the two-week ceasefire agreement.
On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump had announced a “double sided” ceasefire, more than a month into a war with Iran.
“I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks,” Trump said in a Truth Social post. “We received a 10-point proposal from Iran, and believe it is a workable basis on which to negotiate.”
The ceasefire was contingent on Iran agreeing to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran had said that it would stop “defensive” operations if attacks on the country were halted, according to a statement from Iran’s Foreign Minister. Israel has also agreed to the ceasefire, media reports said.
Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf subsequently accused the U.S. of violating the ceasefire deal. The violations are the denial of the Islamic Republic’s right to enrich uranium and Israel’s continued attacks on Lebanon, a drone’s entry into Iranian airspace, he said.
South Korea’s Kospi were lower at 0.6% while the small-cap Kosdaq was flat. Japan’s Nikkei 225 was marginally higher at 0.12%, while the Topix gained 0.26%. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was 0.24% lower.
The West Texas Intermediate futures for May rose by 2.3% to $96.63 per barrel by 8.20 p.m. ET. International benchmark Brent June futures gained 1.87% to $96.50 per barrel.
S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq 100 futures slipped 0.1%. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 32 points, or less than 0.1%.
Overnight in the U.S., stocks surged after President Donald Trump suspended attacks on Iran for two weeks, pausing a five-week conflict that closed a crucial waterway for global energy supplies.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average ripped 1,325.46 points higher, or 2.85%, to 47,909.92. That was the benchmark’s best day since April 2025, when Trump first backed down from the severity of his initial tariff announcement.
The S&P 500 popped 2.51% to 6,782.81, and the Nasdaq Composite surged 2.80% to 22,635.00.
— Sarah Min, John Melloy and Lisa Kailai Han contributed to the report
