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Abu Dhabi, Dubai Stocks Diverge as Continued US-Iran Strikes Spook Investors

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United Arab Emirates indices struggled to find direction on Friday as markets weighed the renewed exchange of strikes between the US and Iran, which entered its sixth consecutive day.

At the close of trading, the FTSE ADX General Index was somewhat muted but 0.003% in the green, while the DFM General Index fell 1.391%.

The US Central Command launched another wave of strikes on Iranian air defenses and military logistics infrastructure on Thursday. Iran retaliated by attacking US bases in the Gulf and launching its first direct strikes on a special operations command center in Syria.

Meanwhile, oil prices continue to trade higher as maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz remains largely halted due to the resumption of attacks and blockade of Iranian ports by the US.

"Our commodity strategists argue that crude oil supplies are sufficient to withstand a few weeks, if not months, of skirmishes in the Strait of Hormuz. Yet, if tensions do not abate, they estimate the oil price could nonetheless rise back above $100/bbl. They note that refined-product inventories are more depleted than those for crude, resulting in elevated crack spreads. This implies that the risk of a squeeze from energy prices is higher than a narrow focus on the crude oil market would suggest," BofA Global Research said in a note.

Turning to the region's corporate side, shares of Burjeel Holdings (ADX:BURJEEL) closed the session 2.89% higher. The healthcare company's Burjeel Medical City facility partnered with the US's Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center to develop a specialized thoracic surgery program in Abu Dhabi.

Dubai-listed Talabat (DFM:TALABAT) returned to trading following a trading suspension due to the release of material information. Shares of the online food delivery company were 0.84% in the red at the time of trading's close.

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