Chinese shares opened slightly lower on Tuesday, as escalating tensions around the Strait of Hormuz dampened risk appetite.
The Shanghai Composite Index, the main gauge of Chinese stocks, opened 0.1% lower at 3,909.27. The Shenzhen Component Index ticked down 0.49 to 14,522.36.
The fragile interim U.S.-Iran nuclear agreement signed in June hung in the balance as cross-border attacks escalated.
The U.S. launched airstrikes against Iran on Sunday evening, only to be met hours later by Iran's Revolutionary Guard claiming strikes on American facilities in Kuwait, Jordan and Bahrain.
While Tehran has announced the indefinite closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Washington continues to assert that the strait remains accessible to maritime navigation.