(Updates prices before market close)
By Ruth Chai
April 2 (Reuters) -
<ul>
<li>Japanese rubber futures rose on Thursday on a weaker yen, surging oil and a volatile Nikkei, after President Donald Trump failed to outline a clear end to the Iran war.</li>
<li>The Osaka Exchange (OSE) rubber contract for September delivery (JRUc6) (0#2JRU:) was up 5.6 yen, or 0.21%, at 387.6 yen ($2.43) per kg.</li>
<li>The rubber contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) for May delivery (SNRv1) rose 35 yuan, or 0.21%, to 16,700 yuan ($2,424.75) per metric ton.</li>
<li>The most active May butadiene rubber contract on the SHFE (SHBRv1) fell 210 yuan, or 1.2%, to 17,335 yuan per metric ton.</li>
<li>The price of Thailand’s benchmark export-grade smoked rubber sheet (RSS3) (RUB-RSS3C-BKK) and block rubber (RUB-STR20C-BKK) added 0.93% and 0.75% to 89.39 baht per kg and 72.54 baht per kg, respectively.</li>
<li>Stocks tumbled and the yen weakened after Trump said Washington’s “core strategic objectives” in the Iran war were nearing completion but stopped short of providing an outline of when the conflict would end.</li>
<li>The yen (JPY=EBS) eased to 159.375 but was within touching distance of the psychologically important 160 level, which is viewed as the line in the sand for intervention by Japanese authorities. (USD/)</li>
<li>A weaker currency makes yen-denominated assets more affordable to overseas buyers. (FRX/)</li>
<li>Nikkei (.N225) fell 2.4% alongside other Asian stocks.</li>
<li>Oil prices climbed more than $5 on Thursday, as Trump’s commentsfanned investor fears about sustained supply disruptions. (O/R)</li>
<li>A large fire at a Russian petrochemical plant that produces synthetic rubber and plastics raised concerns about butadiene rubber supply.</li>
<li>However, Nanhua Futures said the tightness stems from a shortage of butadiene gas resulting from upstream ethylene cracking, meaning the fire had little impact on supply or butadiene rubber prices.</li>
<li>The front-month rubber contract on the Singapore Exchange’s SICOM platform for May delivery (STFc1) last traded at 200.9 U.S. cents per kg, up 1.1% as of 0700 GMT. ($1 = 159.3300 yen) ($1 = 6.8873 yuan)</li>
</ul>

At 9 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, Trump delivered a national address, claiming a "rapid and decisive victory" in the US military's war against Iran and stating that core strategic objectives were nearing completion. He emphasized that Iran would never be allowed to possess nuclear weapons and called the US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities a "huge success." Regarding the Strait of Hormuz, Trump encouraged countries to "take responsibility for themselves" without providing a clear timetable for its reopening. Escalating tensions in the Middle East have put markets on edge, and the US military may intensify its strikes in the coming weeks. Will the US-Iran conflict end quickly as Trump hopes? How will the energy market evolve?

At 9 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, Trump delivered a national address, claiming a "rapid and decisive victory" in the US military's war against Iran and stating that core strategic objectives were nearing completion. He emphasized that Iran would never be allowed to possess nuclear weapons and called the US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities a "huge success." Regarding the Strait of Hormuz, Trump encouraged countries to "take responsibility for themselves" without providing a clear timetable for its reopening. Escalating tensions in the Middle East have put markets on edge, and the US military may intensify its strikes in the coming weeks. Will the US-Iran conflict end quickly as Trump hopes? How will the energy market evolve?

RUBBER-Japan futures rise on softer yen, surging oil after Trump speech