European equities were largely subdued in early trading on Monday as markets responded to a halt in talks between the United States and Iran that signals a possible continuation of disruptions to oil shipments in the Gulf.
By 03:02 ET (07:02 GMT), the pan-European Stoxx 600 was unchanged. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 also registered no net move at that time. On the continent, Germany's Dax rose 0.3% and France's CAC 40 was up 0.2%.
Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump called off plans to send American negotiators to Pakistan for a new round of discussions with Iran. In public remarks reported in the same period he said Tehran could "call me" and asserted that Washington holds "all the cards."
The cessation of planned talks increases the prospect that a weekslong interruption to critical oil shipping will continue. Both the U.S. and Iran have effectively constrained transit in and around the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway that handles roughly a fifth of global oil flows, even as a fragile ceasefire remains in place.
Meanwhile, Axios reported that Iran submitted a fresh proposal to the United States that, according to the report, would aim to reopen the strait, bring an end to active hostilities and postpone nuclear negotiations to a later date. The report was noted by market participants assessing the diplomatic trajectory, but the broader impasse in scheduled talks remained.
On the corporate front, onshore wind turbine manufacturer Nordex rallied more than 9% in early trading after reporting first-quarter underlying earnings that exceeded analyst estimates. Automotive supplier Forvia said it will divest its interiors business to Apollo for 1.82 billion euros; Forvia's shares climbed more than 3% on the announcement.
Market participants continued to monitor developments in the Gulf for implications to energy supply and regional risk, while equity moves were also shaped by company-specific results and transactions that drove outsized moves in individual names.