Global Market Jitters Amid U.S-Iran Tensions

Asian and global stocks declined as renewed U.S.-Iran tensions stirred market volatility. Wall Street fell overnight; oil prices soared due to Middle East hostilities. In currency markets, the yen edged lower, while the dollar held steady. Gold rose slightly, and crypto markets saw mixed movements with a dip in Bitcoin and a rise in ether.

Devdiscourse News Desk | By Gregor Stuart Hunter Singapore | Updated: 04-06-2026 06:11 IST | Created: 04-06-2026 06:11 IST

Global Market Jitters Amid U.S-Iran Tensions — This image is AI-generated and does not depict any real-life event or location. It is a fictional representation created for illustrative purposes only.

Asian stock markets dipped Thursday at the onset of trading due to renewed hostilities between the U.S. and Iran, which unnerved investors despite mixed indicators of de-escalation.

In response, MSCI's Asia-Pacific shares index outside Japan fell by 0.8%, the S&P 500 e-mini futures lost 0.4%, Korea reopened 2% down post-holiday, and Japan's Nikkei 225 decreased by 1.3%.

Stateside, Wall Street sank with the S&P 500 shedding 0.7% overnight as Middle Eastern tensions spiked despite positive U.S. economic data. Market participants overlooked encouraging PMI figures amid the backdrop of Iran-U.S. conflict.

(With inputs from agencies.)