TRUMP'S NEW IRAN THREATS RATTLE MARKETS

Most Asian equities fell and oil prices rose yesterday after Donald Trump ratcheted up Middle East tensions by hinting at possible military strikes on Iran if it did not make a "meaningful deal" in nuclear talks.

- NUNTAWUN POLKUAMDEE NAREERAT WIRIYAPONG

The remarks put the brakes on a rebound in markets following an Al-fuelled selloff earlier.

The Thai index came close to 1,500 points but fell nearly 1% on Friday as investors await Election Commission endorsement of MPs and progress on government formation.

The SET index moved in a range of 1,432.74 and 1,496.61 points this week, before closing yesterday at 1,479.71, up 3.4% from the previous week, with daily turnover averaging 80.08 billion baht.

Foreign investors were net buyers of 10.40 billion baht, followed by brokerage firms at 3.37 billion. Retail investors were net sellers of 9.69 billion baht, followed by institutional investors at 4.08 billion.

NEWSMAKERS: President Trump said on Thursday that Iran must reach a deal on its nuclear programme within 10 to 15 days or face “really bad things”, as Tehran warned it would retaliate against US bases if attacked.

■Minutes of the last US Federal Reserve meeting show most members favoured leaving interest rates unchanged to evaluate the impact of previous cuts. They were divided on whether to hold or lower rates in the next meeting, scheduled for March 17-18.

■The US posted a record $1.24-trillion trade deficit in goods in 2025, up 2.1% from the previous year. The December figure surged 33% to $70.3 billion, significantly exceeding market expectations.

■The US trade deficit with China shrank in 2025 to the smallest in more than two decades at about $202 billion as Trump's sweeping tariffs reordered global trade.

■The Trump administration announced three projects valued at $36 billion to be financed by Japan: an oil export facility in Texas, an industrial diamonds plant in Georgia and a natural gas power plant in Ohio.