Japan's Nikkei retreats from 4-month high as threat of US involvement in Iran conflict looms

By Rocky Swift

TOKYO, June 19 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei share average retreated from a four-month high on Thursday as the threat of war between the United States and Iran dampened demand for higher-yielding assets.

The Nikkei 225 Index .N225 slid 0.8%, snapping a three-day rise that lifted the gauge to the highest since February 20. The broader Topix .TOPX lost 0.6%.

The Israel-Iran conflict entered its seventh day, and President Donald Trump was ambiguous about whether the U.S. would join in bombardment of Iran's nuclear sites.

"Heightened tensions in the Middle East continue to cool investor sentiment, with the downside appearing to widen," said Nomura strategist Fumika Shimizu.

There were 48 advancers on the Nikkei against 175 decliners. The biggest losers were Taiyo Yuden 6976.T, down 3.1%, followed by Sumitomo Pharma 4506.T, which lost 3%.

The largest gainer was Nippon Steel Corp 5401.T, surging 4.3% after it completed its long-simmering $14.9 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel X.N.