Asian Stock Markets Plunge After Failed US-Iran Peace Talks, Kospi Hit Hardest

Asian-Pacific stock markets plunged at the opening of trading on Monday, 13 April 2026. The pressure stemmed from investors weighing the US Navy’s blockade against Iranian ports after talks between the two countries failed to yield an agreement to end the Middle East conflict.

US President Donald Trump is reportedly set to continue airstrikes against Iran. Last week, Trump approved a two-week ceasefire in exchange for Tehran’s permission for ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, and previously threatened to bomb every bridge and power plant in Iran.

The failure of negotiations, held in Islamabad, has suddenly sparked fears that the US-Iran war will last longer than expected. This projection has caused a rise in global oil prices and burdened economies around the world.

Citing CNBC International, Japan’s Nikkei 225 index plunged 0.84%. Meanwhile, the Topix index fell 0.42%.

In South Korea, the Kospi index corrected by 1.83%. The Kosdaq index, comprising small-cap stocks, weakened more severely, by 1.43%.

In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 eroded by 0.74%. The Hong Kong Hang Seng futures index stood at 25,964.

The US stock markets also showed negative performance. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures index fell 517 points or 1.1%.

The S&P 500 futures index lost 1.1%. Similarly, the Nasdaq 100 futures index recorded a drastic decline of 1.2%.