April 9 (Reuters) - Futures for Canada's main stock index inched lower on Thursday as investors weighed developments in the Middle East, while uncertainty over the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz pushed oil prices higher.
June futures on the S&P/TSX index were down 0.13% at 5:22 a.m. ET (9:22 a.m. GMT).
United States President Donald Trump warned of major escalation in the Iran war if the peace process failed, adding that the military assets will remain in that region until a deal is reached.
Iran had signaled a risk to the ceasefire on Wednesday, following Israeli strikes on Lebanon and Washington's insistence on Tehran abandoning its nuclear ambitions.
Oil prices rose, with futures for Brent crude and the U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude trading above $97 a barrel.
Spot gold gained 0.3%, and silver was down 0.1%.
The U.S. Federal Reserve's minutes from March 17-18 meeting showed openness among policymakers for rate hikes citing risks of inflation due to oil shock.
The Fed's preferred inflation gauge, Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) data for February, is scheduled for release at 8:30 a.m. ET.
Canada's benchmark stock index (.GSPTSE), closed at a five-week high on Wednesday, as U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreement sparked a relief rally.
In after-the-bell results on Wednesday, aerospace tech firm Firan Technology's (FTG.TO), quarterly revenue beat estimates.
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Reporting by Utkarsh Tushar Hathi; Editing by Joyjeet Das
