Oil Prices Rebound to $80 per Barrel... Nasdaq Futures Drop Over 1%

U.S. Stock Index Futures Also Fall in the Morning Session

International oil prices have rebounded to the $80-per-barrel mark as follow-up negotiations between the United States and Iran on an end-of-war agreement have stalled. As investor risk aversion has increased, U.S. stock index futures also fell across the board during the morning session.

A view of an oil tanker near Texas. Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News Agency

As of 9:00 a.m. on June 22, 2026 (Korea Standard Time), August Brent crude futures were trading at $81.69 per barrel, up 1.39% from the previous day. July West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were also up 3.04% at $78.93 per barrel. Oil prices have continued to rise amid uncertainty since June 19, when U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance’s planned trip to Switzerland for follow-up negotiations was suddenly postponed.

In contrast, ahead of the U.S. market open, Dow futures are down 0.49%, S&P 500 futures are down 0.72%, and Nasdaq futures are down 1.16%. According to the cryptocurrency market site CoinMarketCap, Bitcoin is also trading around $63,000, down 1.15% from 24 hours earlier. Other leading altcoins—including Ethereum, BNB, and Tether—are also showing slight declines of less than 1%.

The market is closely watching the ongoing U.S.-Iran follow-up talks in Switzerland, as well as navigation conditions in the Strait of Hormuz. While the suspension of military actions in Lebanon has been included in the U.S.-Iran agreement, the Iranian military escalated pressure on June 20 by declaring the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, citing continued Israeli attacks. According to The New York Times, the situation in Lebanon has emerged as a key variable in the negotiations for two consecutive days.

Tensions are also rising inside and outside the negotiating venue. Iran’s Tasnim News Agency reported that after the Trump Administration warned it might strike Iran directly if Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel continue, the Iranian delegation protested by leaving the talks. However, CNN and Bloomberg reported that while negotiations have reached a stalemate, they have not been completely suspended.

Meanwhile, Iran has expressed hope that crude oil exports could return to normal if the end-of-war agreement is finalized. Hamid Bovard, CEO of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), said in an interview that “about half of a month’s exports have already been shipped in recent days,” and that “the lifting of oil sanctions and related exemptions were major agenda items discussed in the Swiss talks.” He argued that if the memorandum of understanding is fully implemented, crude oil exports will also be completely normalized. However, the United States has yet to announce an official stance on whether it will ease oil sanctions against Iran.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.