Asian stock markets close mostly lower after US attack on Iran

Asian stock markets closed mostly lower this Tuesday (26), after the United States yesterday launched what it called "self-defense" attacks in southern Iran, putting peace negotiations between the two countries at risk.

The offensive occurred despite President Donald Trump having stated, on social media, that discussions to end the war were "progressing well".

The Japanese Nikkei index fell 0.25% in Tokyo, to 64,996.09 points, pressured by shares in the pharmaceutical and electronics sectors.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng had a marginal drop of 0.03% on the return from a holiday, to 25,599.45 points. The Taiwanese Taiex fell 0.27%, to 43,525.37 points.

In mainland China, the Shanghai Composite dropped 0.17%, to 4,145.37 points, and the less comprehensive Shenzhen Composite registered a drop of 0.60%, to 2,872.32 points.

In the opposite direction, the South Korean Kospi advanced 2.55% in Seoul, to a new record level of 8,047.51 points, also after returning from a holiday, with the good performance of technology and shipyard stocks.

The US military said Monday's strikes were carried out "to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces."

According to the American military, there was moderation in action due to the ceasefire with Iran, which did not present an official response.

In the wake of the offensive, Brent oil rose again.

At the end of the morning, the contract for August jumped more than 3%, after falling almost 7% in the previous session, amid hopes that Washington and Tehran were close to an agreement to end hostilities.

In Oceania, the Australian stock market followed the negative trend in Asia, and the S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.39% in Sydney, to 8,657.80 points.

Source: CNN