Trending 
Financial markets across Asia faced downward pressure on Friday as the conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran showed no signs of concluding.
Investors remain cautious due to a volatile week where global equities were battered by the crisis.
Concerns persist that the prolonged war and subsequent attacks across the Gulf region will trigger a fresh spike in inflation, potentially damaging the global economy.
While oil prices saw a slight reprieve following US efforts to stabilise supply, crude remains significantly elevated, having surged roughly 20% since the start of the conflict.
Credit: Zee Business
To mitigate these pressures, the U.S. government is considering tapping into national reserves and has temporarily eased sanctions on Russian oil to ensure global market flow.
Despite these measures, analysts warn that the market will continue to struggle as long as a ceasefire remains unlikely.
Performance across Asian indexes was mixed; Seoul’s Kospi fell by 1.6%, with Sydney, Singapore, and Jakarta also recording losses.
Conversely, markets in Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Shanghai managed to post modest gains.
Traders are now looking ahead to the release of U.S. employment data later today to gain further insight into the resilience of the world’s largest economy.
