Asian markets mixed as AI-linked selling drags Japan’s Nikkei 225 down 1% to 68,704.70

Iran launched a new round of drone and missile attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait over the weekend, in response to new U.S. airstrikes tied to fresh sanctions, sharply escalating U.S.-Iran tensions. Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 1% on Monday to 68,704.70, extending Friday’s 4.2% drop, while SoftBank Group slid another 5.9%. Oil prices rose but remained near levels seen before the Iran war began in late February. The latest geopolitical escalation has lifted energy risk premiums and weighed on sentiment toward Asian tech stocks.