Asia-Pacific stocks poised to open higher as investors shrug off stalled U.S.-Iran negotiations

Aerial view of Seoul downtown city skyline with vehicle on expressway and bridge cross over Han river in Seoul city, South Korea. Mongkol Chuewong | Moment | Asia-Pacific markets were set to rise Monday as investors looked past renewed diplomatic setbacks between the U.S. and Iran, even as escalating tensions in the Middle East kept oil prices elevated. Sentiment held up despite U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday scrapping plans to send U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Islamabad, Pakistan for negotiations with Iran. "Too much time wasted on traveling, too much work! Besides which, there is tremendous infighting and confusion within their 'leadership,'" Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. Oil prices jumped about 2% after plans for a second round of peace negotiations between the U.S. and Iran unraveled again. International benchmark Brent oil futures rose more than 2% to $107.49 per barrel by 7:35 p.m. ET, while U.S. crude oil also jumped 1.79% to $96.19. Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz remain high after Iran's Revolutionary Guard reportedly boarded two cargo ships near the strategic sea lane. Japan's Nikkei 225 was poised to climb, with the Chicago futures contract at 59,980 and its Osaka counterpart last trading at 60,140 compared with the index's previous close of 59,716.18. Similarly, Hong Kong Hang Seng index futures were at 26,041 compared with the index's last close of 25,978.07. …