US stock futures erase losses on report of new Iranian proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz
S&P 500 futures erased small losses on Sunday evening after Axios reported that Iran, through Pakistan, is offering a fresh proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the conflict. West Texas Intermediate futures are off their highs, but still up 1.6% as of 9:33 p.m. ET. According to Axios, this deal would punt the issue of Iran’s nuclear program to a later date.
This new potential off-ramp follows some less than encouraging news on the status of talks between the two sides. On Saturday, President Donald Trump said that he canceled a trip to Pakistan during which Steve Witkoff (special envoy to the Middle East) and Jared Kushner (Trump’s son-in-law) had been expected to negotiate with Iran. On Sunday, Trump told Fox News that Iran “can come to us, or they can call us” if they want to talk.
The Strait of Hormuz, a key chokepoint for global oil flows, has been largely closed since the conflict started roughly two months ago, despite a ceasefire agreement that was said to be contingent on the reopening of this waterway. In addition to Iranian military threats, which initially made passage through the strait too dangerous for most vessels to attempt, the US has also recently started a naval blockade to limit Iranian oil exports.