Following an attack on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, the United States and Iran have engaged in mutual attacks, bringing the Middle East crisis back into the market's focus. International oil prices surged by over 5%, and Asian stock markets saw more declines than gains.

According to AFP, after oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz were attacked, the US launched a new wave of attacks on Iran, leading to retaliatory attacks on US military bases in the Persian Gulf region, raising concerns about peace talks between the two rivals.

This also led to greater selling pressure on Asian stock markets. The South Korean stock market saw technology stocks sold off again as the market questioned the high valuations of tech stocks and when companies would profit from massive AI investments.

International benchmark Brent crude oil prices rose 5.3% today to $78.09 per barrel. US major crude oil futures, West Texas Intermediate, rose 5.4% to $74.23 per barrel.

Andreas Krieg, a security expert at King's College London, pointed out that Iran insists on charging passage fees for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, a point that Washington had previously emphasized as unacceptable.

The renewed tensions between the US and Iran have also affected the stock market. Coupled with the pullback in technology stocks that have driven the market to new highs over the past two years, the stock market is facing pressure.

The Kospi index in Seoul plummeted by more than 5% today. The index has fallen by more than 20% since reaching its all-time high last month.

South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics continued its decline from yesterday, with its competitor SK Hynix both falling by about 6% today.

Regarding other Asian stock market performances, the Nikkei index in Japan closed down more than 2% today, while stocks in Sydney, Wellington, Bangkok, and Jakarta all fell. The Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong, however, rose by more than 2%, with stock markets in Taipei, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines closing higher. (Compiled by Liu Shu-chin) 1150708

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  • Source: CNA (Central News Agency)
  • Category: 國際