Merchants work on the ground of the New York Inventory Change throughout morning buying and selling on April 17, 2026 in New York Metropolis.
Michael M. Santiago | Getty Pictures
LONDON — European shares fell on Monday, amid fears {that a} re-escalation of U.S.-Iran tensions over the weekend may derail the delicate ceasefire between the 2 international locations.
The pan-European Stoxx 600 was 0.9% down in early dealmaking.
The U.Ok.’s FTSE 100 index opened 0.4% decrease, with Germany’s DAX down 1.3%, and France’s CAC 40 down nearly 1.1%, with Italy’s FTSE MIB 1.2% down. Most sectors had been in destructive territory shortly after the opening bell.
President Donald Trump stated Sunday {that a} U.S Navy guided missile destroyer had fired on and disabled an Iranian-flagged cargo ship within the Gulf of Oman earlier than Marines boarded and seized the vessel.
The seizure is an escalation of the U.S.’ blockade of the strait and comes after Iran fired upon industrial vessels trying to transit the maritime passage earlier Sunday.
Since final week, the U.S. has been working a naval blockade of ships coming into and exiting Iranian ports. Iran views the continued blockade as a breach of the continued ceasefire, which it cites this as one among its causes for calling off the anticipated negotiations on Monday in Islamabad.
Trump warned on Sunday he would “knock out each single Energy Plant, and each single Bridge, in Iran” if Tehran didn’t comply with Washington’s phrases to finish the battle. The delicate ceasefire between the 2 international locations will expire this week.
Asia-Pacific markets had been buying and selling largely increased in a single day however U.S. futures fell early Monday. The declines come after a profitable week for Wall Avenue, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite climbing to all-time highs final week following a ceasefire between Iran and Lebanon.
Iran had declared that the Strait of Hormuz was reopened, however by Saturday, vessel visitors by that key delivery lane was restricted once more, with state media saying the U.S. “didn’t fulfill their obligations.”
There are not any main earnings or information releases in Europe on Monday.
— CNBC’s Justina Lee and Fred Imbert contributed to this market report.