Overview
- Trump, who paused the U.S. ship‑escort push called Project Freedom on Tuesday, set off a global rally Wednesday as Brent crude dropped to roughly $101–103 a barrel.
- Asian shares extended the jump on Thursday, with Japan’s Nikkei topping 62,000 for the first time as regional indexes hit records and oil hovered near $100–102.
- In India, the Sensex rose 940 points on Wednesday to 77,958 and the Nifty closed at 24,331, even as foreign funds were net sellers by about Rs 5,835 crore.
- Tehran says it is reviewing a U.S. peace proposal reported as a one‑page memorandum, and Washington has both paused ship escorts and declared Operation Epic Fury concluded.
- Cheaper crude could ease inflation and shipping costs, yet Brent remains about 40% above late‑February levels and any reopening of the Strait of Hormuz may restore flows only slowly.