European shares slide as Israel-Iran conflict shows no sign of cooling

European shares declined as the Iran-Israel conflict entered its fifth day, escalating unrest and prompting investors to seek safer assets. The STOXX 600 index fell by 0.8%, with energy shares outperforming despite overall market declines. Uncertainty surrounding ceasefire efforts and rising oil prices contributed to market volatility, while Ashtead gained despite a revenue growth forecast slowdown.