Global markets remained volatile as a fragile US-Iran ceasefire showed early signs of strain, oil prices plunged, but uncertainty lingered, Meta Platforms surged on AI-driven optimism, and bitcoin edged higher in a cautious rebound.
US-Iran ceasefire tested early
A fragile truce between the United States and Iran came under pressure shortly after it was announced, as Tehran halted oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, raising fresh concerns about global energy supply and market stability.
The move effectively breached the terms of the agreement, which had included reopening the critical shipping route.
Iranian state media said the disruption was in response to intensified Israeli strikes on Lebanon, which were not covered under the US-Iran deal.
The situation escalated further as Israel carried out one of its largest coordinated attacks in Lebanon, killing at least 89 people and wounding around 700, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.
US President Donald Trump later confirmed that Lebanon was not part of the truce agreement, separating the two conflict tracks. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated that operations against Hezbollah would continue.
On the diplomatic front, Trump signaled continued engagement with Tehran, stating: “The United States will work closely with Iran,” and adding that “There will be no enrichment of Uranium.”
US Vice President JD Vance described the ceasefire as “fragile,” warning of consequences if Iran fails to comply.
Oil prices: sharp drop but uncertainty persists
Oil markets reacted swiftly to the ceasefire announcement, with crude prices plunging as expectations grew for a resumption of flows through the Strait of Hormuz.
Brent crude fell by around $12, while West Texas Intermediate dropped below $100 per barrel. However, prices remain elevated compared to pre-war levels.
Concerns also remain about infrastructure damage. International Energy Agency Chief Fatih Birol noted that around 75 energy assets had suffered “severely or very severely” damage, limiting the pace of supply recovery.
Meta Platforms: stock surges on AI push
Shares of Meta Platforms jumped around 9%, marking their sharpest gain since January, after the company unveiled a new artificial intelligence model, Muse Spark.
The company said: “Over the last nine months, Meta Superintelligence Labs rebuilt our AI stack from the ground up, moving faster than any development cycle we have run before.”
“This initial model is small and fast by design, yet capable enough to reason through complex questions in science, math, and health. It is a powerful foundation, and the next generation is already in development.”
Meta is positioning the model as efficient rather than compute-heavy, marking a shift from its earlier open-source strategy.
Bitcoin edges higher
Bitcoin rose above $70,000 following the ceasefire news, but the rally remained cautious compared to broader risk assets.
Bitcoin traded at $71,280 at the time of writing.
Data from TradingView showed margin long positions on Bitfinex remained elevated at 80,057 BTC, near a two-year high, suggesting traders are not fully convinced that risks have subsided.
At the same time, the Coinbase Bitcoin Premium Index showed inconsistent signals, indicating muted institutional demand from US investors.
Crypto-related stocks also posted modest gains, with Coinbase up 1.5%, Circle rising 0.6%, Galaxy Digital up 0.6%, and MicroStrategy gaining 3%.
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