The green color is deceptive: The Japanese Nikkei index is once again posting minus values and therefore in the red.Image: keystone
Asia’s stock exchanges started the trading week in the red after US President Donald Trump’s ultimatum to the Iranian leadership.
March 23, 2026, 05:17March 23, 2026, 05:17
After the holiday-related trading break on Friday, Japan’s leading index Nikkei 225 temporarily slipped by almost five percent at the opening.
South Korea’s leading index Kospi also started the week around five percent in the red. In the Chinese special administrative region of Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index fell by around 2.8 percent, while in China the CSI 300 index, which tracks the most important stocks on the mainland, temporarily fell 1.4 percent at the start.
The developments in the Iran war also have a strong impact on the price of oil. The price of crude oil, the North Sea variety Brent, which is crucial for Europe, continued to hover well above the $100 mark at around $112 per barrel (159 liters), which was more than 50 percent higher than the price level before the start of the American-Israeli attacks on Iran.
On Sunday night (CET), US President Trump threatened those in power in Iran with destroying energy facilities if the country did not open the Strait of Hormuz completely and “without threats” within 48 hours. The leadership in Tehran, for its part, threatened to completely close the strait, which is important for global oil trade. (sda/dpa)