US markets opened higher after Trump's new threats against Iran. The fear index fell

US stock indices opened trading with significant gains after President Donald Trump voiced a new threat against Iran.

- The S&P 500 broad market index jumped 0.9% at the open before slowing to 0.6%.

- The blue-chip index Dow Jones Industrial Average added 1%, but after ten minutes remained in the plus by 0.7%

- The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.8%, then cut half of its gains.

- The Fear Index fell 4.2%, falling below the psychologically important 30-point mark but still extremely close to it.

In a post on the Truth Social platform, Trump threatened to destroy Iran's energy infrastructure, including oil fields and Kharq Island, through which about 90% of Iran's oil exports pass, if an agreement to end the war is not reached soon and traffic is not restored in the Strait of Hormuz. At the same time, the U.S. leader announced significant progress in the talks. And the day before, he told reporters that Tehran had agreed to most of the cease-fire plan conveyed by Washington through mediators in Pakistan.

Donald Trump's new statements put markets in a quandary as they simultaneously carry both positive and negative signals, notes Bloomberg. This duality was reflected in oil futures: the price of Brent after the publication of the president cut the rise to about $113 per barrel, before returning to the level of about $115.

After a month of fighting, Iran's control is stronger than ever, Bloomberg writes. In March, an average of only about six ships a day passed through the corridor in both directions. In normal times, the figure is about 135 ships.

This article was AI-translated and verified by a human editor