* Hopes of Strait of Hormuz opening lift risk assets

* Nikkei surges to record high, U.S. stock futures gain

* Dollar stumbles as investors move out of safe haven;

oil slides

* Conflicting messages on peace deal keep enthusiasm

grounded

(Adds quote; paragraph 20)

By Nell Mackenzie and Ankur Banerjee

LONDON/SINGAPORE, May 25 (Reuters) - Stocks surged on

Monday, while the U.S. dollar and oil prices slid as the

prospect of a deal to end the Iran war buoyed risk appetite,

although a lack of clarity over when the Strait of Hormuz would

open kept enthusiasm in check.

The nearly three-month-long conflict in the Middle East has

driven energy prices sharply higher and reshaped the global

rates outlook, as inflation concerns intensify following

Tehran's effective shutdown of the key strait.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday he had told his

representatives not to rush into any deal with Iran and his

administration played down hopes of an imminent breakthrough.

Just a day earlier, Trump said Washington and Iran had

"largely negotiated" a memorandum of understanding on a deal

that would reopen the waterway, which carried one-fifth of

global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments before the war.

Chris Weston, head of research at Pepperstone, said markets

have become less focused on the timing of a resolution and

instead been keeping an eye on the tone of the headlines.

"The tone has been consistently towards some sort of

resolution... We've become very patient for a resolution

deadline," he said.

The pan-European STOXX 600 was up 0.7% at 629.24, while

Nasdaq futures were 1.4% higher and S&P futures

were up 1%. Liquidity is likely to be thin, as several markets,

including Britain and the United States, are closed on Monday.

Stocks did not seem to wobble, despite comments from Iran's

foreign ministry spokesperson on Monday saying that while many

topics had been agreed, this did not mean Tehran is close to

signing a peace deal.

OIL PRICE SETS THE TONE FOR MARKETS

For much of the year, oil prices have steered broader

markets, as investors sift often conflicting signals from

Washington and Tehran, with both sides locked in talks since a

fragile ceasefire took hold in April.

On Monday, oil prices hit two-week lows, with Brent crude

futures down $4.81, or about 5%, to $98.73 a barrel,

while U.S. West Texas Intermediate was at $91.79 a

barrel, also down nearly 5%.

Analysts expect oil prices to stay elevated even if there is a

resolution in the near term, and they are unlikely to return to

levels before the war as it will take time to remedy supply

chain disruption from the conflict.

Last week, Barclays maintained its 2026 average Brent crude

oil price forecast at $100, though it said risks are skewing

higher.

The euro was up 0.3% at $1.1634, while the Japanese yen firmed

to 158.96 per U.S. dollar as the safe-haven dollar gave up some

of its recent gains.

In Asia, Japan's Nikkei jumped roughly 3% to roar

past the 65,000 level for the first time and Taiwan stocks

to 43,644, both closing at record highs.

Global stocks have mostly shrugged off war worries to focus

instead on all things AI and a strong earnings season, which has

pushed equities to record highs through the year.

RATE EXPECTATIONS RESET

The increase in energy prices since the conflict began and the

risk that prolonged disruptions will keep them high has prompted

traders to bet on rate hikes across both developed and emerging

markets.

Markets are now fully pricing in a 25-basis-point hike from

the U.S. Federal Reserve in January 2027, a sharp shift from

expectations before hostilities erupted in late February, when

two rate cuts this year were anticipated.

The 30-year Treasury bond's yield, which is seen as

a barometer of geopolitical and fiscal risk, briefly touched its

highest level since July 2007 last week, but has pulled back

from that milestone. There was no cash trading on Monday, but

30-year futures were up a full point.

Data on Friday showed U.S. consumer sentiment fell to a record

low in May as surging gasoline prices linked to the Iran war

intensified affordability concerns just as Kevin Warsh was sworn

in as chair of the Fed.

"For the Federal Reserve, this creates a difficult balancing

act," said Bruno Schneller, managing partner at Erlen Capital

Management.

On one hand, consumers feel the pinch of higher financing costs,

lower income growth and softer hiring, but on the other,

inflation remains high, Schneller said.