S&P 500, Nasdaq, Dow futures fall as hopes of de-escalation in Iran dwindle

Stock futures slid sharply Sunday night as geopolitical risks flared, rattling investor sentiment at the start of the week.

Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average (YM=F) dropped roughly 0.8%. Contracts linked to the S&P 500 (ES=F) and Nasdaq 100 (NQ=F) also moved lower by 0.7%

The pullback follows a rapid escalation in tensions between the US and Iran. President Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social Sunday that an Iranian ship, TOUSKA, had been intercepted by US naval forces.

The president wrote ‘The Iranian crew refused to listen, so our Navy ship stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engineroom. Right now, U.S. Marines have custody of the vessel.’

In further posts on Truth Social, Trump warned ‘NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!’ if Tehran does not agree to US demands, with threats to target Iranian energy and civil infrastructure.

Oil markets reacted immediately. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (CL=F) crude surged about 6.9% to trade just below $90 per barrel, while global benchmark Brent (BZ=F) crude climbed a similar margin to near $95, reflecting renewed concerns about supply disruptions in the region.

Looking ahead for the week, investors will parse another busy stretch of earnings, with major names including Tesla (TSLA), Intel (INTC), and United Airlines (UAL) set to report in the days ahead, offering the next test for markets navigating record stock rises and increasing geopolitical risk.