Asian Markets Plummet Up to 3% Following Trump's Address on Iran War

Asian Markets React to President Trump's Address on Iran War

Asian markets declined on Thursday, April 2, as investors reacted to President Donald Trump's address on the Iran war. The Nikkei 225 in Japan fell 1.4% following the speech, while the Topix declined 0.94%. In South Korea, the Kospi dropped 2.82%, and the small-cap Kosdaq slipped 3%.

In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200, which had opened higher, edged down 0.48%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index also opened 0.5% lower after the address, while mainland China's CSI 300 remained largely unchanged. Back home, trends in Gift Nifty suggest a gap-down opening for Indian benchmark indices. Gift Nifty was trading near the 22,356 mark, reflecting a discount of about 444 points compared to the previous close of Nifty futures.

President Trump's Address on Iran War

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In his speech, President Trump reiterated that US objectives in Iran were nearly achieved, asserting that "we have all the cards" in the conflict. He also warned that Washington would strike Iran "very hard" over the next two to three weeks.

The speech comes at a time when the administration is facing mounting scrutiny over its strategy in the Iran war, with growing calls for a clear roadmap toward de-escalation. Now in its fifth week, the conflict has intensified geopolitical uncertainty and disrupted critical global energy routes.

US Stock Market Today

US stock futures fell after Donald Trump signaled that the ongoing Iran conflict in the Middle East could drag on for several more weeks. Futures linked to the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 352 points, or about 0.8%, while S&P 500 futures also declined 0.8%. Meanwhile, Nasdaq 100 futures slid 1%.

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On Wednesday, US stock markets closed higher, supported by optimism over a potential end to the Iran conflict. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.48% to finish at 46,565.74, while the S&P 500 gained 0.72% to 6,575.32. The Nasdaq outperformed, climbing 1.16% to settle at 21,840.95.

Some notable stock performances included Nvidia shares edging up 0.75%, while AMD climbed 3.33%. Alphabet gained 2.79%, and Tesla also rose 2.79%. Meanwhile, Intel surged 8.8%, Intuitive Machines jumped 9%, and Planet Labs rallied 10%. On the other hand, Nike tumbled 15.5%.