Global Equities Surge as U.S.-Iran Peace Prospects Drive Wall Street to Record Highs

Asia-Pacific benchmarks tracked overnight gains in the U.S. on Thursday, as investors reacted positively to signals that a peace agreement between Washington and Tehran is imminent. The rally follows comments from President Donald Trump, who stated that the Iran war is "very close to over" and suggested that Tehran is eager to reach a deal. A White House official confirmed that a second round of negotiations is currently under discussion, although no official schedule has been set. This diplomatic optimism has triggered a broad rally across major indices, effectively erasing previous losses tied to the conflict. Wall Street saw significant weekly gains, with the S&P 500 rising 3% to close at 7,022.95 and the Nasdaq Composite jumping 5% to 24,016.02. Both indices reached record highs, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq extending its winning streak to 11 consecutive days. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added over 1% for the week, closing at 48,463.72. In Asia, the momentum continued with South Korea's Kospi rising 1.03% and Japan's Nikkei 225 climbing 0.81%. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 also posted marginal gains of 0.22%, while Hang Seng index futures traded higher at 26,129. Energy markets saw a modest pullback as geopolitical risk premiums faded. West Texas Intermediate fell 0.38% to $90.94 per barrel, while the international benchmark Brent crude dipped 0.36% to $94.59.