Markets brace for return to all-out war in Iran amid rising U.S. death toll, while former NATO commander warns Suez Canal could be next

Stock futures were mixed Sunday evening and oil prices continued to climb as the deaths of American service members over the weekend added more fuel to the U.S.-Iran war.

Futures tied to the Dow Jones industrial average fell 61 points, or 0.12%. S&P 500 futures were down just 0.05%, but Nasdaq futures were up 0.08%.

West Texas Intermediate futures rose 2.75% to $84.76 a barrel, and Brent crude climbed 3.2% to $90.92. Gold dropped 0.53% to $3,997 per ounce.

Two U.S. troops died in Jordan from an Iranian attack, and another was missing. A third service member was killed in Iraq while attempting to dispose of a downed Iranian drone.

The deaths at the hands of the Islamic Republic would appear to cross a red line that President Donald Trump had reportedly described when he considered the threshold for ending the earlier ceasefire before signing last month’s memorandum of understanding, which has since collapsed.

So far, the White House hasn’t announced whether all-out war will resume. But the U.S. military is continuing its daily bombardment of Iran, with the latest salvo meant as punishment for those killed in action.

But d...