Trump abruptly halts strike on Iran, oil prices plunge 9% over the weekend, Japanese and South Korean stock markets open lower on Monday.

This weekend, Trump’s Iran policy has again seen a TACO shift, moving from an "imminent strike" to a "delayed strike". As of late night to early morning today, Trump’s latest statement reads: "I canceled the strike on Iran at the request of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Iran. I believe an agreement has already been reached on the Strait of Hormuz, and a denuclearization deal will also be concluded. I am holding talks with them, starting tomorrow afternoon (Beijing time, Tuesday morning). We are ready to act at any time." Affected by this development, Brent crude oil prices quickly retreated from a high of $91 over the weekend, and are now trading at $83.8. However, the positive news failed to boost Japan and South Korea’s stock markets. According to Bitget market data, the Nikkei 225 index fell 659.27 points at Monday’s opening, a 1.02% drop; South Korea’s KOSPI index declined 217.22 points, down 3.29%. SK Hynix fell 4%, and Samsung Electronics dropped 5%.