Equity futures in the United States opened lower following President Trump's designation of Tuesday as Power Plant and Bridge Day in Iran. This announcement coincides with the expiration of a previously established deadline set by the administration.
Major indices showed immediate weakness, with the Nasdaq 100 leading the decline at 0.8%. Both the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average recorded losses of 0.7% at the start of the session.
Energy markets reacted sharply to the news as WTI Crude oil prices surged by 3.0% and Natural Gas rose by 1.0%. Conversely, Gold prices retreated, posting a 0.9% decrease during the opening minutes of trade.