US equity-index futures fell on Friday as China started a retaliatory probe into US trade practices and the war in Iran continued to escalate.

"The pressing priority is to actively promote peace talks, seize the opportunity of ‌peace and promote the cessation ‌of the war," Lin Jian, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, said at ⁠a regular ⁠briefing when asked if China was aware of any ongoing ​negotiations between Iran and the United States.

Israel's defense minister said on Friday that Israeli attacks on Iran "will escalate and expand." This comes as talks between the United States and Iran to end the war continue.

The United States and Israel are devastating the parasitic Islamic regime that squandered the wealth of Iran for decades and exported terror across the Middle East. Understanding the biggest losers

The White House announced on the 25th (local time) that U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to China, postponed due to the Iran war, has been finalized for May 14–15. This suggests the Trump administration anticipates the war will end within weeks.

President Trump says a deal to end the war in Iran is near, despite Iranian leaders rejects his recent ceasefire plan.

Investors cheered reports of a plan to end the Iran war. Stocks rallied and oil prices tumbled, though some market pros remained cautious.

US President Donald Trump threatened Iran with intensified military action and said he’s unsure whether a diplomatic agreement can be reached, with the two sides at loggerheads on how to end the near month-long war.