On April 21, former President Trump reiterated multiple times that the ceasefire agreement will expire at 11 PM Washington time on Wednesday, and it is 'extremely unlikely' that the ceasefire will be extended. At the same time, Trump stated that Vance will travel to Pakistan later on Monday, and 'the Strait of Hormuz will not be opened before the agreement is signed.' On the other hand, Iran maintained a firm stance during U.S. trading hours, stating that 'the decision not to participate in negotiations has not changed.' However, U.S. media reported that 'the Iranian delegation will arrive on Tuesday morning, close to the arrival time of the U.S. delegation.' Due to Iran's tough stance, the S&P 500 index fell 0.24% on Monday, the Nasdaq dropped 0.26%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average remained basically flat. Crude oil prices saw a slight increase, with Brent crude rising by 2.51% to $90.39. Bitcoin, on the other hand, showed relative strength, possibly boosted by significant purchases from Strategy. According to HTX, Bitcoin once again surpassed $76,000 this morning, currently priced at $75,853.42, with a 24-hour increase of 0.19%. Investors are highly focused on whether the U.S.-Iran situation will escalate again. In the next couple of days, whether the Iranian delegation can arrive in Islamabad on time and whether peace talks can be resumed are the main points of market attention.
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