Asian stocks today: South Korea's Kospi declines amid rising crude oil prices, escalating US-Iran war tensions

Asian markets traded lower on Monday as escalating US-Iran tensions pushed Brent crude up 3.8 percent to above 91 dollars per barrel, marking the highest level in over a month. The US military carried out its ninth consecutive night of strikes on Iran, raising concerns about a fragile ceasefire and disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Separately, a sell-off in technology stocks continued over doubts about sustainability of AI-driven rally, with the VanEck Semiconductor ETF shedding nearly 9 percent last week.