INDIA STOCKS-Indian shares open lower after Trump dashes hopes of Iran war de-escalation
April 2 (Reuters) - Indian shares opened lower on Thursday, tracking weakness in Asian peers, after President Donald Trump said the U.S. would hit Iran "extremely hard" within weeks, ending hopes of a near-term end to the war that has rattled the global economy.
The Nifty 50 .NSEI was down 1.31% at 22,383.40 and the BSE Sensex .BSESN shed 1.19% to 72,262.05 as of 9:15 a.m. IST.
All 16 major sectors declined. Heavyweight financials .NIFTYFIN and banks .NSEBANK lost 1.6% each.
The broader small-caps .NIFSMCP100 and mid-caps .NIFMDCP100 fell 1.5% and 1.2%, respectively.
Other Asian markets .MIAPJ0000PUS dropped 2% after Trump said Washington's "core strategic objectives" in the Iran war were nearing completion. However, he did not provide a clear outlook on when the conflict would end. MKTS/GLOB
Trump's comments that the United States would continue to attack Iran intensified geopolitical jitters and drove crude oil prices higher.
Brent crude LCOc1 climbed 5% to about $106 per barrel. O/R
