-- US equity futures were lower pre-bell Monday as the standoff in the Strait of Hormuz continued, with the Iran-US conflict reaching its third month and traders noting the increase in oil prices.
Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were 0.4% lower, S&P 500 futures were down 0.2%, and Nasdaq futures were 0.1% lower.
President Donald Trump said Sunday that the US would help guide vessels stranded in the Persian Gulf due to the conflict, and Iran responded by warning US forces not to enter the Strait of Hormuz.
A US warship was turned away from entering the waterway after being hit by two missiles fired by Iran's navy near the port of Jask, according to Iran's Fars news agency, but a senior US official denied the report, Axios said.
Among the companies expected to report quarterly earnings this week are Palantir Technologies (PLTR), Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), HSBC (HSBC), Arm (ARM), Shell (SHEL), and McDonald's (MCD).
Oil prices were higher, with front-month global benchmark North Sea Brent crude up 3.4% at $111.89 per barrel and US West Texas Intermediate crude 2.9% higher at $104.93 per barrel.
March factory orders are expected to have gained 0.6%, compared with no change previously, according to estimates compiled by Bloomberg.
New York Federal Reserve President John Williams is due to speak today.