Why the Iran war has prompted panic selling in North AsiaBy Shuli Ren / Bloomberg OpinionIt turns out, the biggest financial victim of US President Donald Trump’s decision to strike Iran is not the S&P 500, but equity markets across North Asia. Panic selling was sweeping across Hong Kong, Seoul and Tokyo on Wednesday. North Asia is known for its dependence on oil and natural gas imports, but if we are talking about an economic meltdown, the Iran conflict might be pushing Europe into an energy crisis first. So why are North Asian markets so vulnerable? Shuli Ren is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Asian markets.

Source: Taipei Times March 07, 2026 17:26 UTC