Asia-Pacific markets were set to open mixed Friday, as cautious optimism over the Middle East conflict tempered sentiment, diverging from Wall Street’s record-setting rally.
President Donald Trump confirmed that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to a 10-day ceasefire, starting at 5 p.m. ET. Iran’s parliament speaker has said that Israel halting attacks on Lebanon is a key condition for U.S.-Iran negotiations to start.
The next round of in-person talks between the U.S. and Iran may occur “probably, maybe, next weekend,” Trump said Thursday.
The Iran war is “very close to over,” Trump said earlier in the week, claiming that Tehran wants to “make a deal very badly.” The two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran will expire on Tuesday, April 21.
West Texas Intermediate fell 1.52% to $93.25 per barrel as of 7:12 p.m. ET, while Brent crude last traded at $99.39 per barrel.
