Web Desk/AFP

This live blog follows the latest developments across the Middle East crisis, including regional diplomacy, maritime security, ceasefire negotiations, and economic fallout.<hr style="line-height: 2;">Catch up: Yesterday&rsquo;s top developments<ul style="list-style-type: square;"><li style="line-height: 2; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Iran&rsquo;s president stated that the country has no intention of developing nuclear weapons</li><li style="line-height: 2; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">President Donald Trump said the US won&#39;t &#39;rush&#39; to finalize a deal with Iran</li><li style="line-height: 2; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oil markets in Asia tumbled over 5% amid optimism surrounding potential US-Iran deal</li><li style="line-height: 2; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Saudi Arabia praised Pakistan&rsquo;s mediation role in efforts to ease regional tensions</li><li style="line-height: 2; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">&nbsp;A pre-dawn Israeli airstrike in central Gaza killed three family members, including an infant</li></ul><hr style="line-height: 2;"> Teen shot during Israeli raid in occupied-West Bank town Published: May 25, 2026 | 2:48 GMT | by Web Desk A Palestinian teenager was wounded on Monday after being struck by gunfire during an Israeli military operation in the town of Beit Fajjar in the occupied West Bank, Al Jazeera reported citing Wafa. The Palestinian news agency reported that Israeli troops entered the area as part of a raid and fired live rounds during the incident. The 15-year-old was hit in the leg, the reports said. He was taken to a hospital for treatment. <hr> Japan&#39;s Nikkei jumps over 3% on Iran deal hopes Published: May 25, 2026 | 1:52 GMT | by AFP Japan&#39;s Nikkei share index soared more than 3% on Monday on hopes of a deal to end to the US-Iran war, despite President Donald Trump downplaying its imminence. At around 0145 GMT, the Nikkei 225 was up 3.2% at 65,363.57 points. <hr> US futures rise as traders weigh ME War developments Published: May 25, 2026 | 1:38 GMT | by Web Desk The Guardian reported Monday that US stock futures moved higher in early trading as investors reacted to expectations surrounding a possible agreement to end the Iran war. The gains came as market participants positioned for increased risk appetite at the start of the week. Nasdaq futures rose 0.89%, while S&amp;P 500 futures gained 0.6%. However, uncertainty over the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz limited market enthusiasm. <hr> Oil retreats in Asian trading even as&nbsp;Trump dampens US&ndash;Iran deal prospects Published: May 25, 2026 | 5:44 GMT | by Web Desk/AFP Oil prices fell more than 5% in early Asian trading on Monday, with markets reacting to expectations of a possible US&ndash;Iran agreement even after US President Donald Trump signaled caution over its timing. Brent crude dropped 5.1% to $98.22 per barrel around 2300 GMT on Sunday, while West Texas Intermediate fell 5.2% to $91.57. Trump said in a social media post on Sunday that negotiators should not rush into a deal, saying time was on their side. He added that restrictions would remain in place until an agreement is reached and signed. The United States and Iran have observed a ceasefire since April 8 while mediators continue efforts toward a negotiated settlement.

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Trump says sanctions remain until a final agreement is signed, while the US and Iran continue observing a ceasefire as mediators work toward a negotiated settlement.

LIVE: Oil retreats in Asian trading even as Trump dampens US–Iran deal prospects

HONG KONG: Oil slid Thursday after US President Donald Trump appeared to dial down threats of imminent military action on Iran, while Asian markets were mixed after Wall Street edged lower the previous day. Oil prices dropped three percent after Trump said Wednesday, he would &quot;watch it and see&quot; on possible intervention in the Islamic republic, after he said he was told the killings of protesters there had stopped. Crude prices had surged over recent days as Trump talked about coming to the aid of the Iranian people over the crackdown on demonstrations, sparking concerns over possible disruption to global supplies. Extreme volatilitySilver plunged as much as seven percent after hitting a record high above $93.75 an ounce, after Trump held off slapping tariffs on critical minerals. Gold also dipped. &quot;The swings in commodities highlight the extreme volatility being fed by President Trump&#39;s mercurial policy style,&quot; said Garfield Reynolds, Markets Live Asia Team Leader at Bloomberg. But &quot;so far the declines for raw materials are still too small to seriously dent this year&#39;s substantial rallies&quot;, he said. &quot;There&#39;s plenty of potential that investors will be itching to pile back into commodities assets given how often they&#39;ve bounced back to fresh highs following occasional corrections in recent weeks,&quot; Reynolds added. Tokyo was down 0.4 percent at the close, cooling off after gains fueled by speculation that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi would call an election to capitalize on strong public approval ratings. Takaichi&#39;s ruling party and a coalition partner said Wednesday she intends to dissolve parliament next week for a snap election, seen as a chance to push through her ambitious policy agenda. Sydney, Jakarta, Bangkok, Manila and Singapore posted gains, while Wellington, Mumbai and Kuala Lumpur were down. Shanghai and Hong Kong closed 0.3 percent down and Taipei ended 0.4 percent lower. After the closing bell, Taiwanese chipmaking titan TSMC said net profit for the fourth quarter jumped 35 percent year-on-year, beating forecasts as demand for artificial intelligence skyrockets. London opened on a 0.1 percent high as official data showed Britain&#39;s economy grew more than expected in November. South Korean won slides&nbsp;Traders were also watching South Korea -- with Seoul up 1.5 percent -- as the won&#39;s exchange rate slid towards its weakest level in 16 years. In a rare mention, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday that the won&#39;s depreciation was &quot;not in line with Korea&#39;s strong economic fundamentals&quot; and that volatility in the foreign exchange market is &quot;undesirable&quot;. The won gained as much as one percent after Bessent&#39;s comments, which he posted on social media after meeting Seoul&#39;s finance minister Koo Yun-cheol in Washington. &quot;Bessent&#39;s comments can support the won in the near term, but markets may have more influence if they feel the fundamentals and politics are still in a worsening trajectory,&quot; said Brendan McKenna, a strategist at Wells Fargo in New York. The mixed picture in Asia came after Wall Street stocks fell again Wednesday as investors shrugged off solid bank earnings and an increase in retail sales in November. Analysts noted investor unease about possible US interventions in Iran and Greenland, and Trump&#39;s threats to Federal Reserve autonomy, most recently in the Department of Justice&#39;s criminal probe of the central bank. Key figures at around 0800 GMT&nbsp;Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.4% at 54,110.50 (close) Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.3% at 26,924.24 (close) Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.3% at 4,112.60 (close) West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 3.4% at $59.94 per barrel Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 3.4% at $64.23 per barrel Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1630 from $1.1647 on Wednesday Pound/dollar: FLAT at $1.3433 Dollar/yen: FLAT at 158.56 yen Euro/pound: DOWN at 86.58 pence from 86.68 pence New York - Dow: DOWN 0.1% at 49,149.63 points (close) London - UP 0.1% at 10,197.73

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Oil prices drop three percent after Trump said Wednesday, he would ‘watch it and see’ on possible intervention in the Islamic republic, after he said he was told the killings of protesters there had stopped.

Articles tagged with "Asian Markets"

LIVE: Oil retreats in Asian trading even as Trump dampens US–Iran deal prospects

Oil plunges after Trump's Iran comments, Asian markets mixed

LIVE: Oil retreats in Asian trading even as Trump dampens US–Iran deal prospects