A CMA CGM vessel "was the subject of warning shots yesterday" in the Strait of Hormuz, the French shipping group told AFP on Sunday, adding that the crew was "safe and sound."

Iran has promised to "soon retaliate" following the U.S. Navy's seizure of one of its cargo ships, accusing the United States of having "violated the ceasefire." On Telegram, a spokesperson for the Iranian General Staff stated that "the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will take retaliatory measures against this act of armed piracy and against U.S. military personnel."

Donald Trump had announced that the U.S. Navy opened fire on the Iranian cargo ship Touska in the Gulf of Oman and took control of it. The vessel "attempted to breach our maritime blockade, and it paid the price," the U.S. head of state wrote on his Truth Social platform.

Furthermore, yesterday, POTUS announced the dispatch of a U.S. delegation to Pakistan, led by Vice President JD Vance, to participate in new peace negotiations with Iran.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei, during his weekly press briefing, confirmed that Tehran has not yet reached a decision regarding its potential participation in these new talks, scheduled for Islamabad. He also noted that "the United States is engaging in behavior that in no way demonstrates a serious commitment to a diplomatic process." He added that the seizure of an Iranian cargo ship, the naval blockade of Iranian ports, and delays in implementing the ceasefire in Lebanon constituted "manifest violations of the ceasefire."

Following the seizure of this Iranian cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman by the U.S. military, China expressed its concern and called on the Americans and Iranians to "maintain the momentum of the ceasefire and negotiations," while declaring its readiness to participate.

Crude oil climbs, Orange in the green

In the face of these renewed tensions, oil prices rose again this Monday around midday. Brent crude gained 2.82% to 94.56 dollars, while WTI advanced 4.38% to 88.68 USD.

Regarding individual stocks, French fuel distributor Rubis is exploring a possible acquisition of Puma Energy, a subsidiary of Trafigura, in a cash-and-stock deal, according to Bloomberg. This potential transaction, which could value Puma at up to 2.5 billion euros, would allow Rubis to significantly expand its geographical footprint, particularly in Central America and sub-Saharan Africa, while offering Trafigura a partial exit from an asset that was long loss-making but has recently been turned around.

Additionally, Orange, which on Friday suffered the sharpest decline (-5.28%) on the CAC 40, is being supported this Monday by broker Berenberg, which raised its price target to 20 euros from 18 previously while maintaining its "buy" recommendation. Around midday, shares of the telecommunications operator held the second spot on the Paris benchmark index, advancing 1.93%.

"It took six months, but Orange, Bouygues, and Iliad have agreed on a new 20.35 billion euro offer for SFR and are now entering exclusive negotiations with the Altice France group, the company's owner. We are revising our forecasts for Orange upwards to account for this offer and raising our price target. We expect the consolidation of MasOrange to drive growth for Orange, pending a decision on the French operation," Berenberg detailed in a note.

In Europe this Monday, Eni (+2.99%) leads the FTSE MIB in Milan following two strategic announcements: a massive new gas discovery in Indonesia and the strengthening of its partnership in biofuels with Saipem (the Italian engineering and construction giant, historically specialized in the oil and gas energy sector).

On the macroeconomic front, investors will look to Thursday morning for the release of the April manufacturing PMI indices for France and the Eurozone.