Late Monday, U.S. stock futures moved modestly higher while oil prices held above $80 as President Donald Trump said negotiations with Iran were underway, despite Tehran’s denial that any talks had been scheduled.
Dow Futures Rise as Investors Watch US-Iran Talks
Dow futures rose 95.00 points, or 0.18%, to 53,429.00, while S&P 500 futures gained 4.50 points, or 0.06%, to 7,632.75. Nasdaq 100 futures advanced 20.00 points, or 0.07%, to 28,911.75 as of around 8:22 p.m. EDT.
In commodities, WTI crude oil rose 0.41% to $80.67 per barrel, while Brent crude gained 0.54% to $84.22 per barrel. Natural gas futures edged up 0.11% to $2.784 per MMBtu.
Meanwhile, the U.S. dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of currencies, stood at 99.955, down 0.04% on the day.
Asian markets traded mixed, with South Korea’s KOSPI rising 0.77% to 6,305.45, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 slipped 0.20% to 63,624.79.
Trump Says Iran Talks as Tehran Denies Negotiations
The cautious gains followed Trump’s comments that discussions with Iran were taking place after he called off what he described as "massive attacks" against the country.
"They are going on right now," Trump told reporters at an Oval Office event, Reuters reported, referring to the talks. He described the negotiations as a "last chance" for Iran to agree to a deal.
However, Iran’s Foreign Ministry rejected Trump’s account. Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said no negotiations with Washington were underway and no meetings had been planned.
He added that Iran was not preparing to receive foreign delegations or send negotiators abroad in the coming days.
Iran Denies Talks as Strait of Hormuz Dispute Continues
Trump later accused Iran’s leadership of being "unbelievably duplicitous" in a post on Truth Social. He said additional discussions were expected in the "immediate future."
Iran has maintained that no direct negotiations with the U.S. are planned. Baghaei said the country’s only ongoing discussions involved Oman and the management of the Strait of Hormuz.
Tanker Reportedly Hit in Strait of Hormuz
Meanwhile, a tanker was reportedly struck in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations.
Early Tuesday local time, the vessel issued a distress call on VHF Channel 16, saying it had been hit by an "unknown projectile."
The tanker was struck about 20 nautical miles, or 37 kilometers, northeast of Al Khasab, Oman. The UKMTO did not identify who was responsible.
UKMTO WARNING 104-26
— UKMTO Operations Centre (@UK_MTO) August 3, 2026
Click here to view the full product⤵️ https://t.co/YeKyizmufu#MaritimeSecurity #MarSec pic.twitter.com/oeaeGR2ENg
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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