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Asian stocks tumbled Friday, with Japan’s Nikkei slumping 3.5 percent on heavy selling of semiconductor-related shares and other market heavyweights.
Tensions in the Middle East were weighing on sentiment across the region, and U.S. futures were sharply lower.
Oil prices jumped about $3 as the state-run IRNA news agency reported that Iran fired air defense batteries early Friday morning after reports of explosions near the city of Isfahan.
Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 plunged 3.51 percent to 36,742.05.
Semiconductor equipment supplier Lasertec was the largest loser, it lost 9.7 percent in morning trading. But most other big tech-related shares also dropped.
