Trump says fresh strikes on Iran are unlikely if talks advance; oil retreats

President Donald Trump said the likelihood of fresh U.S. strikes on Iran would fall if negotiations to end the conflict make progress, while both Washington and Tehran reported attacks on vessels near the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude eased by $0.64 to $97.67 a barrel and U.S. WTI fell $0.35 to $90.51, market data showed.

Traders and analysts linked the oil retreat to growing hopes for a diplomatic settlement rather than confirmed breakthroughs. Ole Hansen, an analyst at Saxo Bank, argued the price move reflected expectations about a deal. Observers warned that incidents around the Strait of Hormuz — a key energy transit route — keep upside risk for supply tightness if tensions escalate.

Asked about the prospects for a larger U.S. operation, Trump told CNN, "It depends on whether they sign a very strong deal." There have been previous warnings from Tehran about strikes on American and Israeli targets, but so far U.S. officials have shown no sign of preparing a major operation.

Markets and corporate developments

In U.S. financial markets regulators and exchanges are clashing over so-called "perpetual futures" — derivative contracts without a fixed expiration that allow continuous trading and high leverage. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) argues that American oversight can offer better protection, while traditional exchanges have warned of liquidity and systemic risks. CME Group and other market participants have filed litigation challenging the regulatory decisions; CME CEO Terry Duffy said, "They have significantly muddied the waters."

Tesla announced it will refund deposits for some Cybertruck buyers because remaining orders exceed the production the company can complete before the Texas line closure. "We will try to produce as many as possible before the line closure in about eight months, but we will have to return deposits to a lot of people," Elon Musk said. U.S. Cybertruck sales fell 48% in 2025 to 20,237 units, according to Kelley Blue Book, well below Musk's earlier annual projection of 250,000.

Separately, Nvidia launched an independent inquiry into whether CEO Jensen Huang was targeted by foreign intelligence after media reports about his private life. Huang acknowledged infidelity, apologized and pledged to cooperate. Nvidia said it has found no evidence so far that U.S. national security or the company’s trade secrets were compromised. The company’s shares slipped on the news.

Photo: press material from the event