European markets open lower as US threatens blockade of Iranian ports

Dearbail JordanLive reporter European stock markets opened lower on Monday after US-Iran peace talks failed at the weekend and Donald Trump announced the US will blockade Iranian ports. In the UK, the FTSE 100 index fell by 0.38%. France’s Cac-40 dropped 0.95%, while Germany’s Dax index was down 1%. Oil prices stayed high, with Brent crude rising more than 7% to $102 a barrel. Susannah Streeter, chief investment strategist at investment firm Wealth Club, said: "Trump is turning Iran’s choke