The Nikkei 225 Index slipped 0.5% to around 56,050 on Thursday, paring gains from the previous session as oil prices advanced amid persistent uncertainty over a ceasefire deal between Iran and the US‑Israeli side. A senior Iranian official said parts of the ceasefire proposal had already been violated following new Israeli strikes on Lebanon, while Tehran continued to significantly restrict traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
At the same time, minutes from the Federal Reserve’s latest policy meeting showed a growing number of policymakers see a rate hike as potentially necessary to rein in inflation, even though many still expect the next move to be a cut.
Tech shares led the declines after their sharp rebound in the prior session, with notable losses in Kioxia Holdings (-2.1%), Lasertec (-3.3%), Advantest (-2%), Disco Corp (-3.1%), and SoftBank Group (-2.6%).
