US equity indexes ended lower on Thursday amid conflicting signals from the US on the war with Iran, triggering renewed concerns that the conflict will drag on.

* Iran has created a government agency to vet and tax vessels seeking passage through the Strait of Hormuz, the Associated Press reported, citing Lloyd's List Intelligence. Tehran is reviewing the latest US proposals for ending the war.

* US initial jobless claims last week rose to 200,000 from an upwardly revised 190,000 in the previous week, compared with expectations for 205,000 in a survey of analysts compiled by Bloomberg.

* June West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose $1.28 to settle at $96.36 per barrel, while July Brent crude, the global benchmark, was last seen up $0.61 at $101.88.

* Zoetis (ZTS) shares fell 22%, the steepest decline on the S&P 500, after the company reported Q1 adjusted earnings and revenue below market expectations and scaled back full-year guidance.

* Datadog (DDOG) shares rose 31%, the biggest gain on the S&P, after the company raised its full-year outlook and posted Q1 results that topped Wall Street expectations.