On April 20, international oil prices opened sharply higher. As of 6:20, both WTI and Brent crude surged more than 7%.

Spot silver opened down over 2%, trading at $79 per ounce. Spot gold fell more than 1%, currently at $4,790 per ounce. Futures for the three major U.S. stock indices opened lower across the board. As of the latest update, Dow Jones futures dropped 1%, while Nasdaq and S&P 500 index futures declined over 0.9%.

In the cryptocurrency market, major digital currencies faced broad declines. Bitcoin fell to around $74,000, down more than 2% for the day. Over the past 24 hours, more than 160,000 traders faced liquidations.

On the news front, reports indicate that Iran currently has no plans to participate in the next round of Iran-U.S. negotiations. Iranian officials stated on the 19th that Iran is prepared for renewed conflict and warned that any resumption of hostilities would subject its adversaries to an unforgettable "hellish experience."

Separately, on the 20th, a spokesperson for Iran's Armed Forces Central Command accused the U.S. of violating a ceasefire agreement by opening fire on an Iranian merchant vessel in the Gulf of Oman and boarding the ship, disabling its navigation system in what was described as an act of "maritime piracy." The spokesperson warned that Iranian armed forces would soon respond to and retaliate against such U.S. actions. Earlier the same day, former U.S. President Donald Trump claimed on social media that a U.S. missile destroyer had intercepted an Iranian cargo ship attempting to breach a U.S. naval blockade in the Gulf of Oman, firing upon and disabling the vessel before U.S. Marines took control.