Asian Stocks Fall, Oil Rises Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Asian stocks declined while oil prices rose due to heightened tensions in the Middle East following a reported U.S. strike on Iran after an Apache helicopter was shot down in the Strait of Hormuz. The MSCI Asia-Pacific index dropped 0.6%, with Japan's Nikkei and South Korea's KOSPI also falling, as investors remained cautious over potential supply disruptions.