# markets across Asia and the Pacific moved mostly lower following new warnings from U.S. President Donald Trump toward Iran.

*business · news · 2026-05-18 · Proto Thema*

## Key points

- Brent crude surpassed $111 per barrel, reaching new highs due to unresolved Middle East tensions.
- Yields on Japan’s 30-year government bonds hit a record since their 1999 introduction amid global sell-off.
- Traders have shifted from expecting 2026 rate cuts to almost certain Fed hikes by March.
- A drone attack caused a fire at a UAE nuclear facility, heightening concerns of further regional destabilization.
- Markets await Nvidia’s upcoming earnings as a test of the artificial intelligence sector’s resilience.

**Companies:** Samsung Electronics, Nvidia, Intel, AMD, Micron Technology
**Countries:** United States, Iran, United Arab Emirates, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan

[Read the full story on Proto Thema](https://en.protothema.gr/2026/05/18/new-sell-off-in-markets-after-trumps-threats-toward-iran-asian-markets-fall-oil-rises-fears-over-inflation-and-pressure-on-stocks-and-bonds/)

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