Asian equity markets opened Friday on a broadly positive note as investors took comfort from signs that the United States was actively working to prevent Israel’s Lebanon campaign from destroying the fragile US-Iran ceasefire, with Trump personally asking Netanyahu to scale back attacks on Lebanon out of concern that the fighting was undermining both the truce and efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The Nifty 50 futures pointed to a recovery, trading up 206.65 points or 0.87% at 23,981.75, a meaningful reversal from Thursday’s session where the index had fallen below 23,820 on ceasefire fragility concerns. The Hang Seng gained 155.56 points or 0.6% to 25,907.96. The Nikkei led Asian gains, surging 1,055.94 points or 1.89% to 56,951.26. Taiwan’s index rose 518.37 points or 1.49% to 35,379.53. South Korea’s KOSPI advanced 103.42 points or 1.79% to 5,881.43. Shenzhen added 243.622 points or 1.74% to 14,239.887 and Shanghai gained 24.965 points or 0.63% to 3,991.136. Thailand’s SET rose 13.98 points or 0.94% to 1,503.64 and Singapore’s STI edged up 7.5 points or 0.15% to 4,984.58. Malaysia added 2.49 points or 0.15% to 1,688.73. The two outliers were New Zealand’s NZX 50, which fell 109.87 points or 0.83% to 13,163.94, and Australia’s ASX 200, which slipped 28.5 points or 0.32% to 8,944.7.
The catalyst for the broad regional recovery was a US official’s confirmation that Trump had directly asked Netanyahu to scale back attacks on Lebanon, citing concern that continued Israeli strikes were undermining the ceasefire and complicating efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz ahead of weekend talks with Iran. The disclosure represents a significant hardening of American pressure on Israel — moving from the anonymous Channel 13 report of Thursday evening, which described an Israeli easing due to US pressure, to a named US official confirming that the request came directly from the president to the prime minister.
Both Iran and ceasefire mediator Pakistan had complained publicly that Israel’s Lebanon campaign constituted a truce violation, giving Tehran the political justification it needed to maintain its grip on Hormuz tanker traffic. Trump’s direct intervention with Netanyahu removes that justification at the source — if Israel scales back its Lebanon operations at American request, Iran loses its cleanest argument for keeping the strait closed and faces greater pressure to allow meaningful tanker traffic resumption ahead of the Islamabad talks.
Oil prices were relatively stable in early Friday trading, reflecting a market that has absorbed Thursday’s competing signals — the first non-Iranian oil tanker crossing the Strait of Hormuz since the ceasefire, the IRGC’s confirmation of zero Iranian military launches since the truce began, Trump’s expression of hope about an Iran peace agreement, and the scheduled Lebanon-Israel talks in Washington next Tuesday — and arrived at a cautiously optimistic equilibrium. MCX crude had already been trading up 2.22% at Rs 9,058 on Thursday morning before Thursday’s de-escalation signals emerged, and Friday’s stability in oil prices suggests the market is not yet pricing in a full Hormuz reopening but is no longer pricing in imminent collapse either.
For Indian markets, Friday’s positive Asian open is a meaningful signal after a week dominated by geopolitical risk. The Sensex had fallen 718 points and the Nifty had dropped below 23,820 on Thursday morning before recovering as the day’s de-escalation narrative built. FPI outflows of Rs 1.27 lakh crore in 2026 and the rupee’s record low of 95 per dollar reflect the accumulated damage of six weeks of conflict, and a single positive Friday open does not reverse that. But with Trump personally engaged in restraining Israeli conduct in Lebanon, the Islamabad talks proceeding, and the IRGC having confirmed ceasefire compliance on the Iranian military side, the conditions for a more sustained market recovery are more visible on the morning of April 10 than they have been at any point since February 28.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Market data is indicative and subject to change. Readers are advised to consult a SEBI-registered financial advisor before making any investment decisions. Business Upturn is not responsible for any gains or losses arising from decisions made based on this article.
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