Global capital markets appear to be detecting signals of easing tensions regarding Iran. On the evening of April 21 Beijing time, Iran Air announced it would resume domestic flight operations starting April 22. Subsequently, U.S. stock futures experienced a sharp intraday rally, and European markets also saw upward movements. In pre-market trading, most major U.S. tech stocks advanced. U.S. President Donald Trump stated on social media on the 21st that Iran had violated the ceasefire agreement multiple times, though he provided no specific details.
European and U.S. equity markets collectively rose during the evening session. As of 19:50, Dow Jones futures were up 0.65%, Nasdaq futures gained 0.53%, and S&P 500 futures increased by 0.45%. Germany's DAX 30 index expanded its gains to 0.73%, the Euro Stoxx 50 rose 0.51%, and the UK's FTSE 250 climbed nearly 1%. Before the U.S. market open, most large-cap technology stocks traded higher: Amazon rose nearly 3%, Tesla and Meta Platforms, Inc. each gained nearly 1%, Alphabet advanced 0.43%, Microsoft increased by 0.40%, and NVIDIA edged up 0.12%.
Memory chip stocks also moved higher collectively, with SanDisk up 1.60%, while Micron Technology, Seagate Technology, and Western Digital all rose over 1%. Optical communication stocks continued their upward trend, with Credo gaining nearly 5%, Coherent up almost 3%, Lumentum rising nearly 2%, and Corning increasing over 1%.
Despite ongoing uncertainties surrounding Iran, optimism about artificial intelligence and positive earnings reports prevented investors from moving to the sidelines. According to London Stock Exchange Group data, as of last Friday, 87.5% of S&P 500 companies that had reported earnings surpassed analyst expectations, compared to a long-term average of 67.4%.
Goldman Sachs analysts noted, "U.S. equities should continue reaching new highs in the coming months against a backdrop of sustained earnings growth. In recent weeks, broad earnings expectations have consistently risen, providing fundamental support for the market rally." However, JPMorgan cautioned that a near-term consolidation phase remains possible. The bank stated, "Given the significant rebound from recent lows and a geopolitical backdrop that, while eased, remains unstable, there is a risk the market enters a consolidation phase before continuing its upward trend."
Iran Air will resume domestic flights, according to a report from Iran's Fars News Agency on the 21st cited by Xinhua. The airline announced that after a 50-day suspension, domestic services would restart on the 22nd. Based on the published schedule, the first resumed flight is planned to depart from Tehran for Mashhad at 10:00 AM local time on the 22nd, with the return flight scheduled to leave Mashhad at 12:30 PM the same day.
The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting reported on the 21st that, as of now, no Iranian delegation has traveled to Islamabad, Pakistan's capital. The report stated, "Neither a primary team nor a secondary team, neither an advance nor a follow-up mission, has gone to Islamabad, Pakistan." Iran's Tasnim News Agency reported on the 21st that the U.S. and American media are "deeply immersed in illusions," asserting that there are no fundamental differences between the Iranian government, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The report indicated that statements from President Trump and U.S. media in recent days were full of falsehoods that cannot withstand factual scrutiny, revealing "the bias of hostile media." It suggested that after U.S. officials and media observed the Iranian negotiation team's firm resistance to various U.S. demands, they attempted to create a false impression of internal divisions—a "habitual tactic"—while in reality, Iranian parties maintain a highly consistent consensus on resisting U.S. actions.
The Iranian military issued a statement on the 21st saying an Iranian oil tanker, with support from the Iranian Navy, broke through a U.S. naval blockade and entered Iranian territorial waters from the Arabian Sea on the 20th, and had since docked at an Iranian port. The statement said the tanker safely entered Iranian waters on the evening of the 20th despite repeated U.S. Navy warnings and threats and had been berthed at a southern Iranian port for several hours.
According to Pakistan's media regulatory authority, registered journalists covering the second round of Iran-U.S. talks would receive press credentials starting at 14:00 local time on the 21st. The media center set up at the Jinnah Convention Center was expected to open to journalists at 15:00 the same day. The 14-day temporary ceasefire agreement between the U.S. and Iran is set to expire on the 22nd, with the prospects for a second round of talks remaining unclear. According to a U.S. message on the 20th, U.S. Vice President Vance and the American delegation were to arrive in Islamabad "within hours." However, Iran's official IRNA news agency denied on the 21st reports that an Iranian delegation had traveled to Pakistan.
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