-- The benchmark US stock measures were pointing lower before the opening bell Monday, while oil prices rose as the US navy plans to begin a blockade of Iranian ports in the crucial Strait of Hormuz after Washington and Tehran failed to reach a conclusive agreement to end their war.
The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq declined 0.6% each in premarket activity, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average was off 0.5%. The S&P 500 and the Dow finished Friday's trading session in the red, while the Nasdaq posted its eighth consecutive day of gains.
The US Central Command announced Sunday that its forces will begin implementing a blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports on Monday at 10 am ET.
"The blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman," according to a statement. "CENTCOM forces will not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports."
Earlier on Sunday, President Donald Trump said in a social media post that the US navy will block "any and all ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz," the world's most important chokepoint for crude flows.
"I have also instructed our navy to seek and interdict every vessel in international waters that has paid a toll to Iran," according to Trump. "Other countries will be involved with this blockade. Iran will not be allowed to profit off this illegal act of extortion."
Trump's statement came after delegations from the US and Iran were unable to reach a deal to end their war during negotiations in Pakistan over the weekend. US Vice President JD Vance, who led the US delegation, said the US didn't receive a firm commitment from Iran to stop its pursuit of nuclear weapons, according to multiple media outlets.
Iran's parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said in a post on X that the US team "failed to gain the trust of the Iranian delegation in this round of negotiations."
West Texas Intermediate crude oil jumped 7.8% to $104.05 a barrel before the open, while Brent advanced 7.1% to $101.93.
Meanwhile, Trump on Sunday reportedly threatened to implement a 50% tariff on China, following speculation that Beijing is preparing to deliver a shipment of new air defense systems to Iran, according to CNBC. "If we catch them doing that, they get a 50% tariff, which is a staggering - that's a staggering amount," the US leader said.
Traders await the latest financial results of Wall Street's biggest banks this week, beginning with Goldman Sachs (GS) on Monday. JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Bank of America (BAC), Wells Fargo (WFC), Morgan Stanley (MS) and Citigroup (C) are all due to post their quarterly earnings later in the week, along with major corporations, including Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), Netflix (NFLX) and PepsiCo (PEP).
US consumer inflation accelerated to its highest monthly reading in nearly four years in March as the Middle East conflict sent energy prices sharply higher, official data showed Friday. Consumer sentiment hit the lowest on record this month, reflecting heightened worries about higher prices and the overall economic fallout from the Middle East conflict, according to a survey by the University of Michigan last week.
Treasury yields were trending upwards in premarket action, with the two-year rate rising 1.5 basis points to 3.82% and the 10-year rate inclining 1.6 basis points to 4.33%.
Monday's thin economic calendar has the existing home sales report for March at 10 am. Federal Reserve Governor Stephen Miran is scheduled to speak at 6:20 pm.
Gold dropped 0.9% to $4,744 per troy ounce pre-bell, while bitcoin decreased 0.5% to $70,791.