Oil prices surged and stocks sank Monday after US-Iran peace talks fell apart and Donald Trump announced a blockade of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, adding to fears of energy supplies from the Middle East.
Negotiations in Islamabad at the weekend fell apart with the US delegation -- led by Vice President JD Vance -- blaming Iran's refusal to give up its nuclear programme and Tehran hitting out at "maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade".
kAm%96 ?6HD 562=E 2 3=@H E@ 9@A6D 7@C 2? 6?5 E@ E96 D:I\H66< 4@?7=:4E[ H9:49 92D D6?E 4CF56 AC:46D D@2C:?8[ AFD9:?8 :?7=2E:@? FA 2?5 D6?5:?8 D9:G6CD E9C@F89 E96 8=@32= 64@?@>J]k^Am
kAm~:= AC:46D \\ H9:49 EF>3=65 =2DE H66< 27E6C E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D 2?5 xC2? 28C665 E@ 2 462D67:C6 \\ ;F>A65 2C@F?5 6:89E A6C46?E |@?52J[ H:E9 3@E9 4@?EC24ED E@AA:?8 S`__ 2 32CC6=]k^Am
kAmtBF:E:6D 76== 24C@DD pD:2[ H:E9 %@<J@[ w@?8 z@?8 2?5 $6@F= @77 2E =62DE @?6 A6C46?E[ H9:=6 $92?892:[ $J5?6J[ $:?82A@C6[ %2:A6: 2?5 y2<2CE2 H6C6 2=D@ 5@H?]k^Am
kAmx? 2 =6?8E9J D@4:2= >65:2 A@DE[ &$ !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A D2:5 9:D 8@2= H2D E@ 4=62C E96 DEC2:E @7 >:?6D 2?5 C6@A6? :E E@ 2== D9:AA:?8]k^Am
kAmqFE 96 D2:5 E92E xC2? >FDE ?@E 36 2==@H65 E@ AC@7:E 7C@> 4@?EC@==:?8 E96 H2E6CH2J \\ E9C@F89 H9:49 2 7:7E9 @7 8=@32= @:= 2?5 82D FDF2==J A2DD6D]k^Am
kAmQt7764E:G6 :>>65:2E6=J[ E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D }2GJ[ E96 u:?6DE :? E96 (@C=5[ H:== 368:? E96 AC@46DD @7 q{~rzpsx}v 2?J 2?5 2== $9:AD ECJ:?8 E@ 6?E6C[ @C =62G6[ E96 $EC2:E @7 w@C>FK[Q %CF>A HC@E6 @? %CFE9 $@4:2=]k^Am
kAmQp?J xC2?:2? H9@ 7:C6D 2E FD[ @C 2E A62467F= G6DD6=D[ H:== 36 q{~(} %~ wt{{PQk^Am
kAmw6 D2:5 E96 3=@4<256 H@F=5 @?=J 2AA=J E@ G6DD6=D EC2G6==:?8 E@ @C 7C@> xC2?:2? A@CED]k^Am
kAm%96 &$ >:=:E2CJ D2:5 $F?52J :E H:== 3=@4<256 2== xC2?:2? vF=7 A@CED @? |@?52J 2E `c__ v|%[ 67764E:G6=J D6:K:?8 4@?EC@= @7 >2C:E:>6 EC277:4]k^Am
kAmxC2?VD #6G@=FE:@?2CJ vF2C5D D2:5 :ED D64FC:EJ 7@C46D 925 7F== 4@?EC@= @G6C E96 DEC2:E 2?5 H2C?65 6?6>:6D H@F=5 36 EC2AA65 :? 2 Q5625=J G@CE6IQ :? 42D6 @7 2?J QHC@?8 >@G6Q]k^Am
kAmxC2?VD ?2GJ 49:67 $929C2> xC2?: 42==65 %CF>AVD E9C62E QC:5:4F=@FD 2?5 7F??JQ[ 244@C5:?8 E@ DE2E6 %']k^Am
kAmp7E6C E96 E2=<D \\ E96 9:896DE\=6G6= >66E:?8 36EH66? E96 EH@ D:56D D:?46 E96 `hfh xD=2>:4 C6G@=FE:@? \\ '2?46 D2:5 (2D9:?8E@? 925 >256 %69C2? :ED Q7:?2= 2?5 36DE @776C[Q 255:?8i Q(6V== D66 :7 E96 xC2?:2?D 2446AE :E]Qk^Am
kAmxC2?VD u@C6:8? |:?:DE6C p332D pC28949: D2:5 E96 C:G2=D 925 366? Q:?496D 2H2JQ 7C@> 2 562=[ HC:E:?8 @? ) E92E QxC2? 6?82865 H:E9 &$ :? 8@@5 72:E9 E@ 6?5 H2CQ]k^Am
kAmqFE 96 25565 QH6 6?4@F?E6C65 >2I:>2=:D>[ D9:7E:?8 8@2=A@DED[ 2?5 3=@4<256Q]k^Am
kAm}:4@=6 vC2;6HD<:[ 2? 2DD:DE2?E AC@76DD@C 2E E96 r6?E6C 7@C x?E6C?2E:@?2= #6D62C49 2E $4:6?46D !@ :? !2C:D[ H2C?65 E92E 2 &$ 3=@4<256 H2D Q?@E 2 >:?@C 4@6C4:G6 D:8?2=Q 3FE H@F=5 C2E96C 36 4@?D:56C65 2? 67764E:G6 C6DF>AE:@? @7 E96 H2C]k^Am
kAmu2H25 #2K2BK252[ 2 >2C<6E 2?2=JDE 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^u@C6I]4@>Qmu@C6I]4@>k^2m[ D2:5i Q%96 7F?52>6?E2= :DDF6 C6>2:?D ECFDE U>52D9j @C C2E96C[ E96 =24< @7 :E U>52D9j 36EH66? EH@ =@?8\DE2?5:?8 25G6CD2C:6D H9@ DE:== 2AA62C D@>6 5:DE2?46 7C@> 4@>>@? 8C@F?5]Qk^Am
kAmx?G6DE@CD 2C6 2=D@ <66A:?8 2? 6J6 @? 2EE6>AED E@ C6D@=G6 E96 4@?7=:4E 36EH66? xDC26= 2?5 w6K3@==29[ 2D {632?6D6 !C:>6 |:?:DE6C }2H27 $2=2> D2:5 96 H2D AFD9:?8 E@ 6?DFC6 E96 H:E95C2H2= @7 xDC26=: 7@C46D]k^Am
kAmQ(6 H:== 4@?E:?F6 E@ H@C< E@ DE@A E9:D H2C[ E@ 6?DFC6 E96 xDC26=: H:E95C2H2= 7C@> 2== @FC =2?5D[ E96 C6EFC? @7 2== E96 AC:D@?6CD[ E@ C63F:=5 @FC 56DEC@J65 G:==286D 2?5 E@H?D[ 2?5 E96 D276 C6EFC? @7 E96 5:DA=2465[Q $2=2> D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 AC@DA64E @7 E96 |:55=6 t2DE 4C:D:D 4@?E:?F:?8 7@C E96 7@C6D6623=6 7FEFC6 C2>A65 FA :?7=2E:@? 762CD 2?5 H6:8965 @? 8@=5 2>:5 6IA64E2E:@?D :?E6C6DE C2E6D H@F=5 36 <6AE 6=6G2E65]k^Am
kAms2E2 uC:52J 9:89=:89E65 E96 :>A24E @7 E96 4@?7=:4E @? AC:46D[ H:E9 E96 &$ 4@?DF>6C AC:46 :?56I DA:<:?8 2E b]b A6C46?E :? |2C49[ :ED 9:896DE D:?46 |2J =2DE J62C]k^Am
k9am\ z6J 7:8FC6D 2E 2C@F?5 _ab_ v|% \k^9am
kAm(6DE %6I2D x?E6C>65:2E6i &! g]_ A6C46?E 2E S`_c]bb 2 32CC6=k^Am
kAmqC6?E }@CE9 $62 rCF56i &! e]h A6C46?E 2E S`_`]fb 2 32CC6=k^Am
kAm%@<J@ \ }:<<6: aadi s~(} `]_ A6C46?E 2E de[bdf]c_ W3C62<Xk^Am
kAmw@?8 z@?8 \ w2?8 $6?8 x?56Ii s~(} `]_ A6C46?E 2E ad[eaf]fdk^Am
kAm$92?892: \ r@>A@D:E6i s~(} _]` A6C46?E 2E b[hg`]_gk^Am
kAmtFC@^5@==2Ci s~(} 2E S`]`ege 7C@> S`]`fag @? uC:52Jk^Am
kAm!@F?5^5@==2Ci s~(} 2E S`]bc_` 7C@> S`]bcebk^Am
kAms@==2C^J6?i &! 2E `dh]ef J6? 7C@> `dh]`h J6?k^Am
kAmtFC@^A@F?5i &! 2E gf]a_Â A6?46 7C@> gf]`` A6?46k^Am
kAm52?\4>Dk^Am
