U.S. Stock Futures Steady as Iran Reviews U.S. Ceasefire Proposal

U.S. stock index futures held relatively steady on Wednesday evening after Iran signaled it was reviewing a ceasefire proposal put forward by Washington aimed at ending the ongoing Middle East conflict. The cautious market tone followed a volatile but ultimately positive session on Wall Street, where major indexes closed higher after reports emerged of a 15-point peace plan submitted by the United States to Tehran.

By 8:19 PM ET, S&P 500 Futures had dipped slightly to 6,639.25 points, Nasdaq 100 Futures held firm at 24,371.0 points, and Dow Jones Futures edged lower to 46,689.0 points. Despite the mild pullback in futures trading, investor sentiment remained cautiously optimistic amid early signs of diplomatic movement.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi appeared on state television acknowledging the U.S. proposal, hinting at a degree of openness to negotiation — provided Tehran's core conditions were met. However, Iran simultaneously rejected claims from Washington that active talks were already underway, and insisted that Lebanon be included in any comprehensive ceasefire framework. Iran also introduced a competing five-point plan that demanded reparations from both the U.S. and Israel, along with a proposed toll system for the Strait of Hormuz.

These mixed signals tempered investor enthusiasm and pulled Wall Street indexes below their intraday peaks. Nevertheless, the S&P 500 closed up 0.5% at 6,591.94 points, the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.8% to finish at 21,929.83 points, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced nearly 0.7% to 46,428.57 points. Geopolitical tensions further complicated the outlook as the White House issued a stark warning, threatening severe consequences if Iran refused to accept a ceasefire.

Oil prices, which initially fell on ceasefire optimism, rebounded in early Asian trading on Thursday, reflecting the persistent uncertainty surrounding the conflict and its potential impact on global energy markets.