U.S. stock futures traded higher and crude oil prices slipped on Thursday after President Donald Trump said Iranian funds held by the U.S. should be used to pay for any future damage to ships and cargo.
Oil Slips as Dow climbs
Dow futures gained 20.00 points, or 0.04%, to 51,914.00, while S&P 500 futures gained 6.25 points, or 0.08%, to 7,451.25. Nasdaq 100 futures advanced 37.75 points, or 0.13%, to 28,658.50 as of around 8:51 p.m. EDT.
In commodities, WTI crude oil fell 0.05% to $92.14 per barrel, while Brent crude dropped 0.12% to $100.571 per barrel. Natural gas futures fell 0.28% to $2.9079 per MMBtu.
Meanwhile, the U.S. dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of currencies, stood at 101.423, down 0.01% on the day.
Asian markets were lower, with South Korea's KOSPI declining 3.68% to 6,835.76 and Japan's Nikkei 225 falling 2.50% to 64,762.97.
Trump Says U.S.-Held Iranian Funds Should Pay
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said using Iranian funds held by the U.S. to compensate for future damage to ships, cargo should remain policy “until further notice,” adding that “any and all damages done to Ships, Cargo, or anything related thereto, will be paid for by Iranian Money that the United States has in its possession, and controls.”
Trump said the damages “may be very substantial” but added that using Iranian funds was “the fair and equitable thing to do.”
US Military Launches 13th Straight Night of Strikes
U.S. Central Command said U.S. forces launched another round of strikes against Iranian military targets beginning at 6:45 p.m. ET on Thursday.
CENTCOM said the operation marked the 13th consecutive night of strikes as the U.S. aims to “hold Iran accountable and diminish threats from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to commercial shipping.”
Houthi Attack on Saudi Tankers
Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for drone and missile strikes on two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, saying both vessels caught fire as part of what the group called its blockade on ships using Saudi ports, according to the group's SABA news agency, AP News reported.
Saudi Arabia confirmed the Encelia was set ablaze and said all crew members were safe, while Trump warned the Houthis of severe military consequences and said the U.S. would hold Iran accountable for any future attacks.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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