Iran's Silence on Hormuz Plan Keeps Oil Risk Premium Alive

Iran said it is awaiting a US response on a peace plan covering the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which a large share of the world's seaborne oil passes. Wire reports say Trump has rejected an earlier version of the deal, leaving the diplomatic track stalled without a clear timeline for resolution. The unresolved standoff matters directly to US drivers: gasoline was recently quoted at $4.48 a gallon, a level that keeps pressure on household budgets and on companies like ExxonMobil, whose dividend payouts are increasingly framed by investors as an offset to pump-price pain rather than a pure growth story. What is not yet known is whether Iran will escalate rhetoric or naval posture in the strait if Washington does not respond, the kind of move that has historically pushed crude prices higher on risk premium alone, separate from actual supply disruption.