FX.co ★ European Stocks Head for Higher Open

European equity markets were poised to open higher on Friday after President Donald Trump postponed a planned strike on Iranian energy infrastructure to April 6 to allow more time for negotiations, saying talks with Tehran were going “very well.” Trump also noted that Iran had allowed 10 oil tankers to transit the Strait of Hormuz this week as a goodwill gesture, while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said an insurance program designed to support increased shipping through the waterway would launch soon. At the same time, reports suggest the Pentagon is weighing the deployment of up to 10,000 additional ground troops to the Middle East. Closer to home, investors will be focusing on UK retail sales, Spanish inflation data, and French employment figures. In premarket trading, Euro Stoxx 50 and Stoxx 600 futures were up 0.5% and 0.4%, respectively.