Wall Street fell and oil prices rose early Monday on conflicting reports of an Iranian strike on a US Navy ship outside the Strait of Hormuz.
S&P 500 futures were down 0.2 percent before the opening bell, while Dow Jones Industrial Average futures lost 0.5 percent. Nasdaq futures were down 0.1 percent.
Oil prices initially rose 5 percent on news that a US ship had been hit, but are now trading between 2 percent and 3 percent higher after the US military denied the attack.
The United States continues to operate near the Persian Gulf and President Donald Trump said the United States would lead ships through the Strait of Hormuz, but gave few details.
Iranian news agencies – including the semi-official Fars agency and the Iran Work News Agency – claimed that Iran had attacked a US Navy ship in the southeastern Strait of Hormuz, accusing it of “violating maritime security and navigational regulations”.
The price of one barrel of US crude was up US$2.18 at $104.12 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, jumped US$3.06 to US$111.23 a barrel.
