Oil worries and Iran war hammer Asian stocks, with Korea’s KOSPI taking the biggest hit

Asian equity markets continue to bear the brunt of investor anxiety over U.S. President Donald Trump’s launch of large-scale strikes on Iran last week, amid worries of an extended conflict in the Persian Gulf and a sharp shock to energy markets. 

Market indices plunged on Monday. Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell by around 5.2% on Monday, while South Korea’s KOSPI sank by 6.2%. Vietnam’s VN-Index is down by around 5.7%. Other Asian markets dropped by smaller amounts: Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell by around 1.8%...