HONG KONG: Oil rose while Asian equities firmed Monday as a surge in artificial intelligence-linked stocks helped offset uncertainty over US-Iran talks. Gains in tech-heavy markets drove investor optimism, despite uncertainty driven by US-Iran negotiations to end the war that has roiled global energy markets since February. Iran&#39;s chief negotiator warned Sunday that Tehran would not trust Washington or agree to any deal unless its rights were fully secured, underlining the gap between the two sides as talks drag on. Reports that US President Donald Trump had sent back a tougher proposal have further complicated negotiations, raising the risk of delays to any agreement to formally end the war and reopen the crucial Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of global crude transits in peacetime. While both sides continue to exchange proposals, key sticking points remain, including Iran&#39;s nuclear program, demands for sanctions relief and the future of shipping through the vital waterway. The stifled progress has left markets sensitive to developments, with oil prices edging higher as uncertainty around supply flows continue. Brent crude, the international benchmark, rose by 2.4%, while West Texas Intermediate, was up 2.8%. Across Asia, Seoul led the rally jumping by more than 4.0%, boosted by continued demand for chipmakers and AI-related firms. Memory chip giant Samsung Electronics rose by more than 9.0%, while rival SK hynix rose by over 2.0%. Taipei, Tokyo, Manila, Wellington and Singapore also advanced. Hong Kong rose in early trade though mainland Chinese markets lagged, with Shanghai dipping, as caution over the domestic outlook could have tempered buying. May factory activity for China was flat at 50.0 after two months of expansion, according to official data released on Sunday. Sydney and Kuala Lumpur were down. Analysts said the resilience of equities despite geopolitical uncertainty demonstrated how dominant the AI-driven investment cycle remained. &quot;Investors continue to embrace the AI boom while assigning a higher probability to an eventual agreement between Washington and Tehran,&quot; Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management wrote in a commentary. &quot;The reason is simple. Artificial intelligence remains the dominant engine of market psychology, and as long as Washington and Tehran continue to exchange draft proposals rather than missiles, investors appear willing to give diplomacy the benefit of the doubt,&quot; he added. Attention remains on incoming US data and central bank signals this week. Investors would also be looking to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang&#39;s keynote speech at Taipei&#39;s Computex chip summit. Huang &quot;will set the tone today, with a typical upbeat and highly positive outlook set to go down&quot;, Chris Weston of Pepperstone said. &quot;Traders will closely scrutinize any updates relating to demand, product innovations, supply chains and infrastructure buildouts impacting what is already a super-hot space,&quot; he added. Key figures at around 0230 GMT&nbsp;Brent North Sea Crude: UP 2.48% at $93.38 a barrel West Texas Intermediate: UP 2.88% at $89.88 a barrel Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 1.1% at 25,452.47 Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 1.0% at 67,020.75 Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.4% at 4,084.46 Euro/dollar: DOWN at 1.1645 from $1.1663 on Friday Pound/dollar: DOWN at 1.3455 from $1.3464 Dollar/yen: UP at 159.48 from 159.27 yen Euro/pound: DOWN 86.55 at from 86.63 pence London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.1% at 10,416.07 (close) New York - DOW: UP 0.7% at 51,032.46 points (close)

Visitors look at electronic display boards showing stock prices and economic indicators at the Tokyo Stock Exchange in Tokyo on June 1, 2026. (Photo by Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP)

Business

Asian stocks climbed on AI-driven optimism, while oil prices rose amid ongoing uncertainty over US-Iran peace talks and the future of global energy supply routes.

Asian equities ahead, oil rises as uncertainty surrounds US-Iran talks

Web Desk/AFP

Navy vessel is seen sailing in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway through which much of the world's oil and gas passes, on March 1, 2026. (File photo: AFP)

Middle East

Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf describes the US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz as a “clumsy and ignorant decision,” saying tensions nearly escalated during behind-the-scenes talks involving an American minesweeper near the strategic waterway.

All you need to know about Day 50 of US-Israel war on Iran

US military announces it will begin blockading all Iranian Gulf ports on Monday at 1400 GMT, and will allow ships not coming or going to Iran to pass through the critical Strait of Hormuz; Iran's navy chief Shahram Irani calls US president's threat to blockade the Strait of Hormuz "ridiculous."




Day 44: All you need to know about US-Israel war on Iran

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&#39;s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said that it is imperative that the US and Iran continue to uphold their commitment to ceasefire.&nbsp; Dar said this while briefing media on Islamabad Talks on Sunday. The Pakistani foreign minister, expressed his deep gratitude to the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America for responding to the call made by Prime Minister of Pakistan Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif for an immediate ceasefire in the region as well as for accepting prime minister&#39;s invitation for holding peace talks in Islamabad.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2043183031121330312&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=76100c9e5ba0cf395b19894855d58680eb56c856&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 777px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="2043183031121330312"></iframe></div></div>The foreign minister said that &quot;I along with the Chief of Defense Forces and Army Chief, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir helped mediate several rounds of intense and constructive negotiations between the two sides that continued through the last 24 hours and ended this morning.&quot;&nbsp; Dar said, &quot;On behalf of Pakistan, I would like to express gratitude to the two sides for appreciating Pakistan&#39;s efforts to help achieve the ceasefire and its mediatory role.&quot;&nbsp;&quot;We hope that the two sides continue with the positive spirit to achieve durable peace and prosperity for the entire region and beyond.&quot;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2043175378488041726&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=76100c9e5ba0cf395b19894855d58680eb56c856&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 877px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="2043175378488041726"></iframe></div></div>The foreign minister said, &quot;It is imperative that the parties continue to uphold their commitment to ceasefire.&quot;&nbsp; &quot;Pakistan has been and will continue to play its role to facilitate engagement and dialogue between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America in the days to come.&quot;&nbsp;

Foreign Affairs

Ishaq Dar Says, 'Pakistan has been and will continue to play its role to facilitate engagement and dialogue between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America in the days to come.' 

Pakistan foreign minister says 'imperative' for US, Iran to uphold ceasefire

ISLAMABAD: Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Wednesday that he welcomes Pakistan&rsquo;s offer to host dialogue between the United States and Iran, calling it &ldquo;timely and constructive.&rdquo; &ldquo;I welcome&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-pm-says-islamabad-ready-to-host-talks-to-end-middle-east-war" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pakistan&rsquo;s</a>&nbsp;timely and constructive offer to host dialogue between the United States and Iran,&rdquo; he said in a post on X.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 648px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2036746075982405837&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=bd7f2e659f46a92c4d992e4a3e43a4ac21e04c9c&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>&ldquo;I commend Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the leaders of other friendly nations for stepping forward at a moment of acute regional danger, following the earlier commendable efforts of the leadership of Oman and other friendly countries.&rdquo; &lsquo;Credible voice&rsquo;&nbsp;He added that &ldquo;Pakistan&rsquo;s relationships with the relevant parties, and its standing as a credible voice in the Muslim world, place it in a strong position to help create the conditions for meaningful negotiations.&rdquo; The Malaysian leader said his country supports the initiative and urged both Washington and Tehran to respond positively. &ldquo;Malaysia supports this initiative and encourages in particular the United States and Iran to respond in the spirit in which it was offered,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I note with cautious hope the signals, however incomplete, that suggest some space for diplomacy may still exist. That space should be treated with the seriousness it deserves.&rdquo; Ibrahim stressed that negotiations must be genuine. &lsquo;Genuine intent&rsquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;Any negotiation must proceed on the basis of genuine intent: a clear commitment to ending the conflict, not managing its tempo for tactical advantage,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The international community has seen too many ceasefires that function as pauses rather than conclusions. The region deserves something more durable.&rdquo; Malaysia, Ibrahim said, &ldquo;reaffirms Iran&rsquo;s right to defend its sovereignty, as recognised under international law, particularly in the face of continued Israeli strikes in the country and in Lebanon.&rdquo; &lsquo;Maximum restraint&rsquo;&nbsp;He also called &ldquo;on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and to ensure that civilian populations and the infrastructure of neighbouring states, namely the Gulf states, are not drawn further into a conflict they did not choose.&rdquo; &ldquo;The Gulf states, the region and the world have much at stake &mdash; economically, socially and in terms of long-term stability &mdash; and their peoples must not bear the consequences of decisions taken elsewhere,&rdquo; he added. Ibrahim also raised concerns about the application of international law. &ldquo;It is also a matter of concern that some of the strongest advocates of the rules-based international order appear to apply it unevenly. International law cannot be invoked selectively. It cannot shield one party from accountability while denying another its inherent right to self-defence. Its credibility depends on consistency.&rdquo; Ibrahim said he had recently engaged with multiple international partners. &ldquo;In recent days, I have held discussions with leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council, T&uuml;rkiye, Egypt, Indonesia, Japan, Pakistan and other partners to better understand the situation and to advocate for de-escalation,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Malaysia will continue to support every credible effort towards a just and lasting peace,&rdquo; the Malaysian prime minister concluded.

Asia

Commends Pakistan PM Sharif and the 'leaders of other friendly nations for stepping forward at a moment of acute regional danger, following the earlier commendable efforts of the leadership of Oman and other friendly countries.’

Articles tagged with "US-Iran Negotiations"

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Malaysian PM welcomes Pakistan’s offer to mediate US-Iran dialogue