Asian markets are trading mostly lower on Thursday, despite the broadly positive cues from Wall Street overnight, with traders remaining cautious as the blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports and the Strait of Hormuz continues even as US President Donald Trump extended the U.S. ceasefire with Iran indefinitely until Tehran submits a "unified proposal" to end the war. Asian markets closed mixed on Wednesday.
The back and forth between Trump and Tehran has led to some uncertainty, although traders generally remain hopeful about an eventual resolution of the conflict.
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Business News
April 17, 2026 15:29 ET The ongoing conflict in the Middle East continues to raise concerns for policymakers who worry about the impact of the supply shock and high energy prices on the real economy. Producer price data and various survey results on the housing market were the main news from the U.S. this week. In Europe, industrial production data for the euro area gained attention. GDP figures out of China and the policy move by the Singapore central bank were in focus in Asia.