US-Iran Peace Agreement to be Finalized in a Few Days: Oil Price Plunges, Global Stock Markets Rally, Bitcoin Poised for Bullish Rebound

**May 25th** Per *The New York Times*, the U.S. and Iran are pushing forward with negotiations for a ceasefire and peace deal, though finalizing a full agreement is still expected to take several more days—sign-off is needed from both nations’ top leadership. U.S. President Donald Trump said the deal would either be “great and meaningful” or “no deal at all.” Iranian officials, for their part, noted that while most issues are agreed upon, “a signing is not imminent.” Under the terms being discussed, core elements include reopening the Strait of Hormuz to navigation, de-escalating tensions in the Middle East, and creating space for future nuclear talks with Iran. U.S. officials say Iran has agreed in principle to address its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. But Iran’s Foreign Ministry stressed negotiations right now remain focused on “ending the war” and have not yet delved into nuclear specifics. Fueled by optimism around the potential peace breakthrough, international oil prices plunged sharply Monday: Brent crude dropped over 5% at one point, global stocks rose broadly, U.S. stock futures notched a record high, Japan’s Nikkei surged roughly 3.5%, and Bitcoin rebounded on the positive outlook. There are growing concerns in Israel over the emerging agreement. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid slammed the deal as “detrimental to Israel and the wider region,” arguing it does not effectively restrict Iran’s nuclear program or missile arsenal. For his part, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said talks between the U.S. and Iran remain active, with additional updates possibly coming later today.