As Iran rejects the &#34;ceasefire agreement&#34; proposed by the United States and US military deployments in the Persian Gulf region continue to strengthen, market concerns over the escalating Middle East conflict have intensified, driving international oil prices sharply higher.In early Asian trading on Monday, Brent crude futures prices rose 2.9% at the opening to $115.84 per barrel. US WTI crude futures also rose 1.7% to $101.35 per barrel. Meanwhile, US stock index futures fell, with S&amp;P 500 futures down 0.6%, extending the sell-off trend from the end of last week.As the conflict expands—particularly with the involvement of the Houthi rebels—critical global routes for energy and cargo transport face serious threats, and market risk aversion has significantly heated up.<img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://wpimg-wscn.awtmt.com/b28c12d6-5a04-4167-b3cb-28ba1f9dcd64.png?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" alt="Image" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://wpimg-wscn.awtmt.com/b28c12d6-5a04-4167-b3cb-28ba1f9dcd64.png"/><h2>Iran Rejects &#34;15-Point Ceasefire Agreement&#34;</h2>While military conflict continues, diplomatic mediation has failed to achieve substantive progress. According to CCTV News, on March 29 local time, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Baghaei stated that the relevant proposals submitted to Iran by the US through mediators were extremely extreme and unreasonable.Baghaei pointed out that these proposals involved Iran's fundamental rights and did not reflect goodwill or a serious diplomatic attitude. He emphasized that Iran must rely on its own capabilities to ensure security and will utilize all means to prevent another attack.According to Xinhua News Agency, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stated on the 29th that the US is publicly signaling for negotiations while secretly planning a ground offensive, and has put forward a so-called &#34;15-point plan&#34; to end the war in an attempt to achieve goals it could not reach through warfare. Ghalibaf emphasized that the US is seeking Iran's surrender, and &#34;our answer is clear: we will never accept humiliation.&#34;<h2>US Intensifies Troop Deployments, Plans Ground Operation</h2>Despite high-level US government officials repeatedly mentioning negotiation progress, US military deployments in the Middle East are being continuously reinforced. According to Global Times, US media cited American officials saying that the Pentagon is preparing for a &#34;weeks-long ground operation&#34; in Iran.US Central Command announced that the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli, has arrived in the Middle East. The USS George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group is also accelerating its transit to the region. This series of military movements has intensified market concerns that the conflict will escalate into a full-scale war.Iran has issued a tough response to this. According to Global Times, a spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters of the Iranian Armed Forces warned on the 29th that a US ground operation in Iran would only send the US military &#34;into an abyss of captivity and death,&#34; adding that &#34;the sharks in the Persian Gulf are waiting for American soldiers.&#34;<h2>US Military Reportedly Planning to Seize Iranian Enriched Uranium and Coastal Islands</h2>According to the latest disclosures by US media on the 29th, US President Trump is considering a high-risk, complex military operation aimed at penetrating deep into Iran to seize nearly 1,000 pounds of enriched uranium.Sources familiar with the matter said Trump has not yet made a final decision, but he hopes to make the surrender of nuclear materials a condition for ending the war. If Iran refuses to compromise at the negotiating table, the US may use force to seize them. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth previously hinted that the US has military options to compel Iran to hand over nuclear materials.It is reported that the operation to forcibly seize enriched uranium is extremely complex and dangerous. Elite special forces would need to fly to the target under the threat of anti-aircraft missiles and drones, clear mines, search through ruins, and load nuclear materials into special transport casks. The entire process could take several days or even a week, which not only poses a very high risk of casualties but could also extend the originally set 4 to 6-week war timeline.Furthermore, US officials revealed that to provide more operational options, the Pentagon is considering deploying an additional 10,000 ground troops to the region. The US military is also preparing other contingency plans, including deploying rapid-response Marines and paratroopers from the Army's 82nd Airborne Division to seize key positions such as strategic islands off Iran's southern coast.Within the current framework, &#34;Kharg Island&#34; has become a potential key node.Kharg Island is one of Iran's most important oil export terminals, responsible for a large volume of crude oil loading. Once this node is controlled or destroyed, the impact on oil prices will be even greater.<h2>Houthi Intervention Threatens Shipping Chokepoints</h2>The scope of the conflict is expanding further. Yemen's Houthi rebels confirmed on the 28th that they used ballistic missiles to strike sensitive Israeli military targets for the first time. This move not only marks the Houthis' official entry into the conflict but also poses a new threat to global shipping.According to reports, if the Houthis open a new front in the conflict, their target could be the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait. This is a vital maritime chokepoint leading to the Suez Canal. Mansour, deputy minister of the Houthi Information Ministry, warned: &#34;Closing the (Mandeb) Strait is one of our available options.&#34;Currently, the Strait of Hormuz has effectively been blocked for a month. If the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait is also threatened, the transport of a large volume of global shipping containers and 12% of the world's seaborne oil will face severe obstruction, which would undoubtedly deal a devastating blow to global supply chains and energy markets.

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The escalation of the Middle East conflict, combined with risks in key maritime straits, has pushed Brent crude oil prices above $115 per barrel. Reports indicate the US is preparing ground operations and considering seizing Iran's highly enriched uranium, while Iran has rejected a "ceasefire agreement." Stagnation in the Strait of Hormuz, coupled with Houthi missile threats against Israel endangering shipping safety in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, has increased uncertainty in energy transportation. The market is shifting focus toward key energy nodes, including Kharg Island; should these become military targets, oil price volatility could be further amplified

- Concerns over escalating Middle East conflict have driven international oil prices significantly higher, with Brent crude up 2.9% to $115.84 per barrel.  
- Iran rejected a proposed ceasefire, leading to an increase in U.S. military deployments in the region and warnings from Iranian officials about the consequences of U.S. ground actions.  
- The conflict's expansion, particularly with the involvement of Houthi forces attacking Israeli targets, threatens vital shipping routes like the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, potentially disrupting global oil supply.

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Iran Rejects "Ceasefire Agreement," US Plans "Ground Offensive," Oil Prices Surpass $115 at Opening