Asian markets fall as conflicting US-Iran messages creates uncertainty

Asian stock markets opened lower in early trading a day after a record rally on Wall Street, as uncertainty grew over the Strait of Hormuz.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 1.75%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index dropped 0.89%. South Korea’s Kospi opened 0.55% lower and Taiwan’s TAIEX declined 0.88%, while the Shanghai Stock Exchange slipped 0.10%.

Conflicting messages in recent hours have weighed on sentiment, with US President Donald Trump saying the US blockade of Iranian ports will remain in place, while Iran warned it could close the Strait of Hormuz again if the blockade continues.