(Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) - Milano, 30 mar - US futures were higher at the start of a holiday-shortened week featuring key jobs data as the Iran war, now in its second month, continues to dominate agendas.

Wall Street ended sharply lower on Friday as concerns grow over the economic fallout of a protracted conflict in the Middle East. The Dow fell 1.7% to fall into correction territory and join the Nasdaq which lost 2.2%. The S&P 500 shed 1.7% to post its fifth-straight weekly decline.

The stock market will be closed on Friday for Easter vacation.

Hopes of cease-fire talks have faded as Washington sends more troops to the Middle East and Yemen's Houthi rebels join in hostilities. President Donald Trump told the Financial Times today the US could take over Iran's oil production while a media report said he was considering a military operation to extract Iran's uranium.

Oil prices rose, with the price of brent close to 115 dollars per barrel.

Bets have been rising that the Federal Reserve will hold steady on interest rates for longer than expected due to growing concerns over inflationary pressure triggered by the war.

On the stocks front shares in aluminium producer Alcoa jumped more than 9% in premarket trade after two Middle East peers were reportedly hit by Iranian attacks.

Futures on the Dow Jones were up 249.00 points, or 0.55%, S&P 500 futures were up 36.25 points, or 0.57%, while futures on.

the Nasdaq were up 131.00 points, or 0.56%.

(RADIOCOR) 30-03-26 13:57:54 (0334) 5 NNNN