Asian, European markets tumble after Israel strikes Iran; investors fear escalation –

Major Asian markets dived today as investors’ sentiment was dampened after Israel conducted a military strike on Iran, targeting its nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories and senior military leaders, while Iran vowed to retaliate. Japan’s Nikkei 225 index dropped almost 0.9 per cent, South Korea’s Kospi index shed over 0.8 per cent, China’s Shanghai Composite index dipped more than 0.7 per cent, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index fell almost 0.6 per cent, and Singapore’s Straits Times index ended over 0.2 per cent down. Major European indices were trading low in intraday trade. Germany’s DAX slipped over 1.2 per cent, France’s CAC lost over 0.9 per cent, while London’s FTSE 100 was trading 0.23 per cent down, when reports last came in.