TOKYO, March 2 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks ended lower on Monday, with the benchmark Nikkei index plunging over 2 percent at one point, following the weekend launch of a joint military strike by the United States and Israel on Iran.
The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average ended down 793.03 points, or 1.35 percent, from Friday at 58,057.24.
The broader Topix index, meanwhile, finished 40.26 points, or 1.02 percent, lower at 3,898.42.
The Nikkei index briefly slid more than 2.5 percent, or 1,500 points, in the morning as concerns grew over disruption to oil supply from the Middle East with media reporting that the Strait of Hormuz has been shut down in the wake of the U.S. and Israeli strikes and retaliatory counterattacks by Iran. Stocks bounced back shortly thereafter, as surging oil prices pared some gains, analysts said. ■