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HONG KONG — <\/span>Oil rose again and world shares were mostly down Thursday on skepticism over a fragile ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran.<\/p>\n Investors were closely watching whether a two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran was already slipping after a round of intense Israeli strikes on Lebanon that killed and injured hundreds. Iran<\/a> again closed the Strait of Hormuz, in response to the attacks in Lebanon.<\/p>\n In early European trading, Britain\u2019s FTSE 100 fell 0.3% to 10,572.73. France\u2019s CAC 40 dropped 0.8% to 8,198.77, while Germany\u2019s DAX lost 1.3% to 23,771.68.<\/p>\n Asian shares closed mostly lower. Tokyo\u2019s Nikkei 225 dropped 0.7% to 55,895.32, while South Korea\u2019s Kospi lost 1.6% to 5,778.01. Hong Kong\u2019s Hang Seng fell 0.5% to 25,752.40. The Shanghai Composite index was down 0.7% to 3,966.17. Australia\u2019s S&P\/ASX 200 edged up 0.2% to 8,973.20. Taiwan\u2019s Taiex was 0.3% higher, while India’s Sensex dropped 1.6%.<\/p>\n U.S. futures were down more than 0.4%.<\/p>\n Oil prices were up Thursday, reversing an earlier plunge<\/a> on optimism over the temporary ceasefire agreement. Brent crude, the international standard, was up 3.5% to $98.09 per barrel. Benchmark U.S. crude was 3.6% higher on Thursday at $97.83 a barrel.<\/p>\n Uncertainties over global energy supply remained. The Strait of Hormuz<\/a>, a chokepoint for energy transport where a fifth of the world\u2019s oil typically passes, was largely closed even though the U.S. repeatedly demanded that it must be reopened.<\/p>\n \u201c(Oil) prices rebounded as fighting in the Middle East continued, and the ceasefire outlook deteriorated, keeping uncertainty around the Strait of Hormuz firmly in focus,\u201d ING Bank analysts Ewa Manthey and Warren Patterson wrote in a note Thursday.<\/p>\n Talks to pursue a permanent end to the war could start in Pakistan on Saturday, and Vice President JD Vance is expected to lead the U.S. delegation. President Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social media platform that U.S. military will remain around Iran \u201cuntil such time as the REAL AGREEMENT reached is fully complied with.\u201d<\/p>\n