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Shares rally, oil slumps as Trump announces Iran-Israel ceasefire

Shares rally, oil slumps as Trump announces Iran-Israel ceasefire

Dubai Eye4 hours ago

Global shares rallied and the dollar extended declines on Tuesday after US President Donald Trump said Iran and Israel had agreed to a ceasefire, sending oil prices into a deep dive as concerns over supply disruptions ebbed.
Writing on his Truth Social site, Trump implied a ceasefire would go into effect in 12 hours, after which the war would be considered "ended".
There was no immediate comment yet from Israel. While an Iranian official earlier confirmed that Tehran had agreed to a ceasefire, the country's foreign minister said there would be no cessation of hostilities unless Israel stopped its attacks.
Oil prices fell over 3 per cent, having already slid 9 per cent on Monday when Iran made a token retaliation against a US base, which came to nothing and signalled it was done for now.
With the immediate threat to the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping lane seemingly over, US crude futures fell another 3.4 per cent to $66.15 per barrel, the lowest since June 11.
"With markets now viewing the escalation risk as over, market attention is likely to shift towards the looming tariff deadline in two weeks time," said Prashant Newnaha, senior Asia-Pacific rates strategist at TD Securities. "Our sense is that the quicker than expected resolution to the Middle East conflict leads to expectations for a swifter resolution on tariffs and trade deals."
Risk assets rallied, with S&P 500 futures up 0.6 per cent and Nasdaq futures 0.9 per cent higher. EUROSTOXX 50 futures jumped 1.3 per cent and FTSE futures rose 0.4 per cent.
The MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan jumped 1.8 per cent while Japan's Nikkei rallied at 1.4 per cent.
Two sources told Reuters that Japan's tariff negotiator Ryosei Akazawa is arranging his seventh visit to the US for as early as June 26, aiming to end tariffs that are hurting Japan's economy.
China's blue chips rose 1 per cent, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index gained 1.7 per cent.
News of the ceasefire saw the dollar extend an overnight retreat and slip 0.3 per cent to 145.70 yen, having come off a six-week high of 148 yen overnight. The euro rose 0.2 per cent to $1.1594 on Tuesday, having gained 0.5 per cent overnight.
The yen and euro benefited from the slide in oil prices as both the EU and Japan rely heavily on imports of oil and liquefied natural gas, while the US is a net exporter.
"The market was so well hedged against a major tail-risk event to play out…the actions and the dialogue we've seen highlight that the tail risks have not and will highly unlikely materialise," said Chris Weston, head of Research at Pepperstone.
Ten-year Treasury yields were 2 basis points higher at 4.35 per cent, having declined 5 bps overnight after Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman said the time to cut interest rates was getting nearer as risks to the job market may be on the rise.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell will have his own chance to comment when appearing before Congress later on Tuesday and, so far, has been more cautious about a near-term easing.
Markets still only imply around a 22 per cent chance the Fed will cut at its next meeting on July 30.

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Nato summit clouded by Trump's attempts to secure Iran ceasefire
Nato summit clouded by Trump's attempts to secure Iran ceasefire

The National

time10 minutes ago

  • The National

Nato summit clouded by Trump's attempts to secure Iran ceasefire

US President Donald Trump's ceasefire announcement after ordering strikes on Iran shifted the focus at the outset of the Nato summit on Tuesday, overshadowing pledges of increased defence spending. The involvement of Mr Trump in the Iran crisis came as other Nato leaders arrived for a shortened and carefully controlled summit in The Hague that revolves around an expansion of European militaries. Mr Trump's attempts to arbitrate between Israeli and Iranian high command is likely to mute criticism of the US military operation on Iran. Cracks appeared as France and Norway described the strikes ordered by Washington at the weekend as illegal. Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte said he "would not agree that this is against international law". For his part, French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday avoided referring to the ceasefire as a done deal. "I think [Mr Trump] made some important and very positive statements," Mr Macron said after a two-day state visit to Norway. He added that "the situation remains very fragile". "There is so much uncertainty that leaders are genuinely quite afraid to say anything negative about Trump that could result in damage to their economic interests or their security interests, so they are playing it safe," said Jane Kinninmont, chief executive of the UN Association of the UK and co-author of an independent experts' report published last year on Nato's engagement with the Middle East. "For most Europeans, a Middle East war is an unwanted and unpopular distraction from what they want to focus their military spending on, which is defence preparations against Russia," Ms Kinninmont said. Nato's role in the Middle East, once limited to military training and liaison, has now changed, experts have told The National. Iran ceasefire Ahead of the summit, Mr Rutte appeared eager to keep the focus on the alliance's priorities and not the Middle East. Yet he recognised it would be a topic of conversation in The Hague, despite not featuring on the agenda. The summit has been carefully choreographed to avoid any strife, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who infamously clashed with Mr Trump in the Oval Office, deciding not to attend talks no Wednesday, though he will take part in a pre-summit dinner hosted by the Dutch King Willem-Alexander. Five per cent Talks between leaders are scheduled to last three hours and focus on locking in Mr Trump's commitment to the alliance in exchange for members spending 5 per cent of their GDP on defence. Nato's 32 countries have agreed to dedicate 3.5 per cent to core military needs by 2035, and 1.5 per cent to broader security-related areas such as cybersecurity and infrastructure. "This is a quantum leap that is ambitious, historic and fundamental to securing our future," Mr Rutte said. To some in the Middle East, Nato suffers from a negative perception associated with US military operations and the chaos that ensued after the 2011 Libya intervention, as well as incidents such as the botched evacuation of Kabul in 2021. But today, the Nato mission in Iraq, which focuses on building up the capacity of the nation's security forces, is widely viewed as a success, while the alliance on June 12 signed an agreement for the establishment of a diplomatic Nato Liaison Office in Amman. At its 2023 summit in Vilnius, Nato highlighted that security challenges in the Middle East posed a security threat and launched a comprehensive review of its engagement in the region. Yet most ideas later put forward by experts have been swept under the carpet since Mr Trump's re-election to the White House in January – and understandably so, said Kristina Kausch, deputy managing director and senior fellow at the German Marshal Fund's southern division. "As much as stronger engagement in the [Global] South may be professed at the rhetorical level, Nato is de facto very much, and for good reason, focused on its primary task of collective defence in Ukraine and Nato's Eastern flank," Ms Kausch said.

Iran vs Israel: What just happened?
Iran vs Israel: What just happened?

The National

time14 minutes ago

  • The National

Iran vs Israel: What just happened?

The Middle East, and much of the world, woke up with a sigh of relief after US President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday a ceasefire between Iran and Israel. But did the rivals really agree to a ceasefire? And is this truly the end of the first direct war between two states that have spent decades fighting in the shadows? Not quite. Israel quickly claimed it had accepted a ceasefire proposal, even after Iran launched four missile barrages. Tehran, for its part, said nothing of the sort. It denied firing missiles that Israel insisted Tehran had launched. And the region is back to the familiar trade of blame, bluffs, denials and terrifying moments. There are many scenarios now on the table. But first, a quick recap of how we got here. Caught off-guard On Friday, June 13, shortly after the deadline the Trump administration had set for US-Iran nuclear talks to deliver results lapsed, Israel launched a series of strikes inside Iran. It hit hard, killing top generals and bombing nuclear enrichment sites and Iranian air defences. The attacks came after a report from the International Atomic Energy Agency that found Iran had breached international obligations over its nuclear activities. That finding gave Israel the supposed grounds to attack. Iran, caught off guard, had assumed war was off the table. Instead, it was dealt a heavy blow. Tehran struck back fast. Devastating missile attacks rained down on Israeli cities. For the first time, both Tehran and Tel Aviv were under direct heavy attacks, no proxies, no buffers. Until now, the shadow war had consumed Beirut, Baghdad and Sanaa. But this was the first full-scale war Israel has fought with a state in decades – and Iran's first since the brutal Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s. "A direct clash between Israel and Iran was inevitable," said a regional security official. Regime change? What began as a campaign to cripple Iran's nuclear programme quickly exposed a deeper agenda: start of a long-term regime change campaign. Or at least a dramatic recalibration of power in Tehran. But why now? Despite stalled nuclear talks, Iran's defences were crumbling. Hezbollah was overstretched. The Assad regime in Syria, gone. And for the first time, Iran had to defend its own soil, from its own soil. Israeli Mossad units were reportedly activated inside Iran. Car bombs, drone strikes – even Evin prison was hit. The message was clear: no sanctuary. Some EU leaders began echoing Israeli rhetoric, talking about 'zero enrichment' as a baseline. It was no longer just about curbing Tehran's nuclear programme; it was about dismantling Iran's deterrence. "This war isn't primarily about the nuclear programme – that's just a secondary concern for the Israelis. The fundamental objective is toppling the Iranian regime," explained the security source. "But if military strikes don't lead to popular unrest and regime change, they become pointless. So what's the point then? Expect more chaos. More destruction." This is still Israel's golden window: a chance to take down an adversary 2,000km away with full western backing, and maybe turn the 'energy monster' into a regional ally. "The Israelis believe that regime collapse would shake the entire region, bringing the Middle East firmly under joint Israeli-American control. It's hard to see it happen without blood. Too much blood," a Middle East diplomat and former Minister of Foreign Affairs told The National. Enter the US But Israel's campaign seemed to fall short of victory. That's when the US stepped in. American bombers, flying straight from their homeland, hit three major Iranian nuclear sites. A bold gesture from Mr Trump, enough to help the Israelis, but (at least on paper) avoid all-out war. Iran didn't buy it. Behind the scenes, it orchestrated a symbolic but pointed attack on the biggest US base in the region, in Qatar. A reminder that if the regime feels cornered, Gulf allies could also be in the crosshairs. The message to Mr Trump was layered: do not push for regime change, and do not expect us to sit quietly while you strike us. Iran was willing to risk its most precious regional ties to protect itself, or at least protect its ruling structure. What now? Mr Trump eventually announced a ceasefire. Israel accepted. Iran did not say it did. It denied launching missiles but also refused any 'imposed' agreement. Instead, Tehran said it wanted to negotiate a ceasefire. What it does not want is a Lebanon-style deal where Israel retains the right to strike anytime, anywhere. Iran wants firm terms. But is it overplaying its hand, again? Or is it holding its most dangerous bargaining chip: hidden, highly enriched uranium, as leverage? Either way, it is hard to imagine Israel backing down now. The window to change Iran is wide open. But it will not stay open forever, especially if Tehran's hardliners take over and silence any remaining reformist voices. The same goes for Israel. The current leadership is driven by an extreme agenda. And they feel emboldened. Unleashed. And what are they capable of? Think Lebanon. Think Gaza. Now think bigger. Also, Israel is believed to have about 90 nuclear warheads. "This is a pivotal war. It will define the future of the Middle East. Victory for one side, defeat for the other. It can't be a tie," warned the diplomat.

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