Asia Markets React to Trump’s Iran Ceasefire Critique
Get the Finance newsletter
Daily finance — markets, central banks, M&A, the prints that move money. Free.
- Investors weighed U.S. inflation concerns against higher oil prices and the ongoing Middle East conflict.
- President Trump called the month‑old ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran "unbelievably weak" and "on massive life support" after rejecting Tehran’s counterproposal.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Trump doesn't need congressional approval to restart strikes on Iran after the 60‑day war‑powers deadline.
- Oil futures fell, with West Texas Intermediate June crude down 0.97% at $101.15 per barrel and Brent July crude down 0.80% at $106.90 per barrel.
- South Korea's Kospi reversed losses to gain 2.63% at 7,844.01, while the Kosdaq slipped 0.20% at 1,176.93.
- Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 0.84% to 63,272.11, while the Topix rose 1.20% to 3,919.48.
- China's CSI 300 gained 1.02%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index was 0.15% higher in the last hour of trade.
Why it matters: Investors’ risk appetite shifted as hotter U.S. inflation and a weakening Iran ceasefire drove oil prices lower and sparked divergent market moves across Asia, with South Korean and Japanese indices climbing while other benchmarks slipped, illustrating the immediate impact of macro‑economic and geopolitical tension on regional equity performance.
