Asian markets cautious, oil dips after Trump holds off on Iran attack

Asian markets were mixed on Tuesday (May 19, 2026) as oil prices eased on hopes of a U.S.-Iran deal, though elevated crude levels capped investor appetite for risk.

Energy markets held centre stage after U.S. President Donald Trump signalled “serious negotiations” with Tehran and called off planned strikes, boosting optimism that tensions could.

The war the United States and Israel launched February 28 has led to an effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, through which around 20% of global oil exports passed in peacetime.

The leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates asked him “to hold off on our planned Military attack of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which was scheduled for tomorrow, in that serious negotiations are now taking place”, Mr. Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

But Mr. Trump added that he instructed the U.S. military to be “prepared to go forward with a full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment’s notice, in the event that an acceptable Deal is not reached”.

Speaking later at a White House event, Mr. Trump said there had been a “very positive development” and that Arab allies said a deal was near that would leave Iran without nuclear weapons, which Tehran denies pursuing.

“There seems to be a very good chance that they can work something out. If we can do that without bombing the hell out of them, I’d be very happy,” Mr. Trump said.

However, he also warned the United States was prepared to launch a “full, large-scale assault” if negotiations collapse, underscoring the fragility of the situation.

Oil dipped on the prospect of diplomacy, but the move offered only limited relief after weeks of volatility driven by the Middle East conflict.

International benchmark Brent was hovering around $109 while West Texas Intermediate at $107.

Equity performance wavered.

Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 opened lower, with local jitters offset by local resilience. Japan’s gross domestic product expanded 0.5% in the first quarter, exceeding market forecasts of 0.4%.

Seoul’s Kospi slid by more than four percent, with tech stocks losing ground after taking their lead from Wall Street. Shanghai, Taipei and Jakarta also slid.

Hong Kong, Sydney and Wellington were ahead.

Safe-haven demand was higher, with both gold and silver edging up, suggesting investors remain wary.

All eyes are on Wednesday’s (May 20, 2026) quarterly results from U.S. chip titan Nvidia, which will be scrutinised as investors question whether huge spending on AI data centres is justified by potential returns.