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Singapore Shares Open Marginally Higher on US-Iran Deal, Hormuz Reopening

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Singapore shares opened marginally higher on Friday as investor optimism rose following Washington and Tehran signing an agreement earlier this week that marked an end to the months-long war in the Middle East.

The Straits Times Index (STI), a key benchmark for the Singapore Exchange, rose 0.02%, or 1.059 points, to open at 5,213.90.

Under the deal signed on Wednesday night, the US military lifted a blockade on Iranian ports. In addition, the Strait of Hormuz is gradually going back to previous operational levels, with the Joint Maritime Information Center saying earlier on Friday that the maritime security threat level in the key waterway has been reduced to moderate.

As of Friday, a 60-day negotiating window between Washington and Tehran has officially begun, which will likely require multiple extensions before a final agreement can be finalized, even as the ceasefire is expected to hold, retired US senior naval officer Harlan Ullman told Al Jazeera from Washington, DC.

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