US futures and Asian shares open lower, oil prices soar as US and Israeli attack Iran

The U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran have sent a chill through world markets, with U.S. futures falling more than 1%. Shares opened sharply lower in Tokyo early Monday and oil prices soared. Japan's Nikkei 225 index lost 2.3% shortly after the open and shares also fell in Australia. Traders were betting the supply of oil from Iran and elsewhere in the Middle East would slow or grind to a halt. Attacks throughout the region, including on two vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, disrupt the region's ability to export oil. Prolonged attacks would likely result in higher prices for crude oil and gasoline.