{"id":72336,"date":"2026-09-28T13:08:36","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T17:08:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/trump-signals-openness-to-iran-sanctions-relief-amid-nuclear-progress-oil-reverses-gains\/72336\/"},"modified":"2026-09-28T13:08:36","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T17:08:36","slug":"trump-signals-openness-to-iran-sanctions-relief-amid-nuclear-progress-oil-reverses-gains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/trump-signals-openness-to-iran-sanctions-relief-amid-nuclear-progress-oil-reverses-gains\/72336\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump Signals Openness to Iran Sanctions Relief Amid Nuclear Progress; Oil Reverses Gains"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>President Trump is reportedly open to easing Iran sanctions<\/strong> and unfreezing assets in exchange for &quot;concrete progress&quot; on nuclear issues, leading to a sharp reversal in <a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/energy\/crude-oil\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"12\" title=\"Crude oil\">oil prices<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell toward $92 a barrel<\/strong>, erasing earlier gains of over 3% as diplomatic de-escalation hopes outweighed Middle East supply fears.<\/li>\n<li><strong>White House Economic Adviser Kevin Hassett projected 4% GDP growth<\/strong> for the U.S. economy, while noting that a 3% deficit goal remains dependent on &quot;force majeure&quot; factors.<\/li>\n<li><strong>SpaceX (<a href=\"\/stock\/SPCX\">SPCX<\/a>) successfully completed Starship\u2019s first orbital mission<\/strong>, with the vehicle splashing down in the Pacific Ocean after deploying 26 Starlink V3 satellites.<\/li>\n<li><strong>KKR (<a href=\"\/stock\/KKR\">KKR<\/a>) and RWE (<a href=\"\/stock\/RWE\">RWE<\/a>) have reportedly submitted a joint bid<\/strong> for the German state-owned energy giant Uniper, amid a field of approximately 10 interested parties.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Trump Signals Diplomatic Shift on Iran<\/h2>\n<p>President Donald Trump has indicated a willingness to provide <strong>sanctions relief<\/strong> and release frozen Iranian funds if Tehran demonstrates &quot;concrete progress&quot; on its nuclear program. According to U.S. officials cited by <strong>CNN<\/strong> and <strong>Axios<\/strong>, the administration is leveraging a &quot;maximum pressure&quot; campaign to force a nuclear-centric agreement. This shift comes despite Trump\u2019s recent rejection of a proposed seven-day ceasefire plan from Tehran, signaling that any relief remains highly conditional on verifiable nuclear concessions.<\/p>\n<p>Iranian officials remain publicly pessimistic about reaching a final deal before the upcoming U.S. midterm elections. However, indirect negotiations through <strong>Qatari and Pakistani mediators<\/strong> are reportedly ongoing. Meanwhile, Iran&#39;s Armed Forces Chief Ali Abdollahi warned of a &quot;devastating response&quot; to regional threats, asserting that the &quot;Resistance&quot; network remains strategically integrated following the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.<\/p>\n<h2>Oil Markets React to De-escalation Hopes<\/h2>\n<p>Energy markets saw significant volatility on Monday as the news of potential sanctions relief broke. <strong>U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI)<\/strong> crude reversed its earlier 3% surge, trading near <strong>$92 a barrel<\/strong>. <strong>Brent crude<\/strong> also moderated, though it remained higher than WTI at approximately <strong>$106 a barrel<\/strong> due to continued constraints in the Middle East.<\/p>\n<p>The price retreat was further aided by reports that <strong>Saudi Arabia<\/strong> has resumed shipments through its East-West pipeline, restoring a flow of <strong>3.5 million barrels per day<\/strong>. Despite the daily dip, the <strong>Energy Information Administration (EIA)<\/strong> noted that global inventories have decreased by <strong>400 million barrels<\/strong> this year, which may keep a structural floor under prices near $90 through the end of 2026.<\/p>\n<h2>Hassett Projects Growth Amid Debt Concerns<\/h2>\n<p>National Economic Council Director <strong>Kevin Hassett<\/strong> provided an optimistic outlook for the U.S. economy, setting a base case for <strong>GDP growth at approximately 4%<\/strong>. Hassett attributed this strength to a surge in capital spending and productivity growth, which he currently estimates at <strong>2.5%<\/strong>. He suggested that the economy is poised for a &quot;blockbuster year&quot; reminiscent of the 1990s dot-com boom.<\/p>\n<p>Addressing the national debt, which recently surpassed <strong>$39 trillion<\/strong>, Hassett noted that a significant portion is &quot;debt we owe ourselves,&quot; with external debt estimated at roughly <strong>$15 trillion<\/strong>. He emphasized that achieving the administration&#39;s <strong>3% deficit goal<\/strong> would depend on external &quot;force majeure&quot; factors. Additionally, Hassett highlighted that <strong>30-year TIPS yields<\/strong> indicate that capital returns are currently higher, reflecting a robust investment environment.<\/p>\n<h2>Corporate Developments: SpaceX and Uniper<\/h2>\n<p><strong>SpaceX (<a href=\"\/stock\/SPCX\">SPCX<\/a>)<\/strong> achieved a major milestone as its <strong>Starship<\/strong> vehicle reached orbit for the first time during its 14th test flight. The mission successfully deployed <strong>26 Starlink V3 satellites<\/strong> before performing a deorbit burn and splashing down in the Pacific Ocean. Although the flight was cut short from its original 10-hour plan to roughly three hours, NASA officials praised the mission as a critical step toward the <strong>2028 Artemis moon landing<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>In the energy sector, <strong>KKR (<a href=\"\/stock\/KKR\">KKR<\/a>)<\/strong> and <strong>RWE (<a href=\"\/stock\/RWE\">RWE<\/a>)<\/strong> are reportedly joining forces to bid for <strong>Uniper<\/strong>, the German gas giant nationalized during the 2022 energy crisis. The German government is seeking to sell a <strong>75% stake<\/strong> in the company while retaining 25% for energy security. Uniper, which reported revenues of <strong>\u20ac60.9 billion<\/strong> in FY25, is also exploring a potential re-IPO as a parallel track to the M&amp;A process.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways President Trump is reportedly open to easing Iran sanctions and unfreezing assets in exchange for &quot;concrete progress&quot; on 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