President Donald Trump speaks during a ceremony for newly sworn-in Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Markway Mullin in the Oval Office of the White House on March 24, 2026 in Washington.
Chip Somodevilla | getty images
Hello, I’m Dylan Butts writing to you from Singapore. Welcome to another edition of CNBC’s Daily Open.
Markets are struggling for direction as investors consider the ever-changing signals from the Iran conflict.
On Tuesday, there were some signs from Washington of a possible de-escalation in the Middle East conflict. But between Trump’s claims of talks with Iran and Tehran’s denials, as well as reports of a possible US military deployment to the Middle East, investors and observers are understandably confused.
What you need to know today
Those comments were followed by a report the new York TimesCiting two unnamed officials, it suggested that Washington had sent Iran a 15-point plan to end the war.
The plan was reportedly routed through Pakistan, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recently saying his country was keen to facilitate talks between the warring parties.
wall street journal However, it was reported Tuesday that the Pentagon is preparing plans to deploy about 3,000 troops from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East.
As investors keep an eye on these rapidly changing signals and reports, US stocks bounced back in Tuesday trading, giving back some of the sharp gains seen in the previous session. However, futures of major indices were trading higher.
Oil prices, which rose on Tuesday after falling in the previous session, started falling again and were down 6%.
Meanwhile, the conflict in the Middle East is having an impact around the world. The Philippines on Tuesday became the first country to declare a “national energy emergency” as the ongoing conflict threatens fuel supply chains.
– Dylan Butts
And finally…
Meta must pay $375 million for violating New Mexico law in child abuse case, jury rules.
A New Mexico state court jury on Tuesday found Metra liable for $375 million in civil damages following a trial. The allegations center on whether the tech giant violated state consumer protection laws and misled residents about the security of apps like Facebook and Instagram.
The civil lawsuit began last month with opening arguments in Santa Fe. New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez sued Meta in 2023 after an undercover operation involving the creation of a fake social media profile of a 13-year-old girl, which he previously told CNBC resulted in “simply a flood of images and targeted requests from child abusers”.
-Jonathan Vanian
