Asian Markets Slide on US–Israel Strikes on Iran, Oil Prices Jump

Asian stock markets fell sharply on Monday after US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran heightened geopolitical tensions and pushed oil prices higher. Weak sentiment was also influenced by losses on Wall Street, driven by concerns over interest rates and artificial intelligence.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dropped 2.4%, Japan’s Nikkei fell 1.6%, and other major Asian indices also traded lower. Chinese markets saw modest declines, while India’s Nifty 50 and Sensex opened nearly 1% down amid weak global cues.

Rising oil prices have raised inflation concerns for oil-importing Asian economies, while continued uncertainty over Middle East tensions and pressure on technology stocks kept investors cautious.