Asian stock markets close lower due to tensions between the US and Iran

Asian stock markets closed lower this Thursday (4), after Wall Street interrupted a rally amid the resumption of tensions between the United States and Iran.

Leading the losses, the Kospi index fell 1.84% in Seoul, to 8,639 points, after not operating on Wednesday (3) due to local elections in South Korea. In Tokyo, the Japanese Nikkei fell 1.36%, to 67,470 points, after closing the previous session at a record level.

Elsewhere in Asia, the Hang Seng fell 1.48% in Hong Kong, to 25,253 points, and the Taiex fell 1.68% in Taiwan, to 45,677 points.

In mainland China, losses were more moderate: the Shanghai Composite fell 0.64% to 4,057 points, and the less comprehensive Shenzhen Composite fell 0.41% to 2,801 points.

On Wednesday (3), the New York stock exchanges ended lower after a new exchange of attacks between the USA and Iran, interrupting a sequence of records driven mainly by enthusiasm with the strong expansion of artificial intelligence (AI).

The escalation of tensions in the Middle East led oil to advance for the third consecutive session on Wednesday (3). At the end of the morning, however, the commodity fell more than 1%, after Israel and Lebanon - also involved in the conflict - agreed to adopt a new ceasefire conditioned on the end of hostilities by Hezbollah, a group supported by Iran.

In Oceania, the Australian stock market was also in the red, with a drop of 1.13% in the S&P/ASX 200 in Sydney, at 8,686 points.

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Source: CNN