Japan's Nikkei Stock Average dropped sharply on the 19th, falling more than 2,100 points at one stage as investors absorbed a third straight decline on Wall Street and fresh concern over the Middle East. President Donald Trump's statement that "there are no plans for talks or dialogue with Iran whatsoever" and his signal that the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz would continue fueled worries that U.S.-Iran tensions could persist and keep oil prices high. On the New York Stock Exchange on the 18th, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 116.38 points to 53,343.40 and the Nasdaq Composite lost 355.20 points to 26,289.71, both marking a third consecutive decline. Rising long-term interest rates in the United States and Japan added pressure, with selling spreading across Tokyo's export-related and technology stocks as markets weighed the risk that higher energy costs and borrowing costs could hurt earnings and household consumption. Investors are now watching for any renewed U.S.-Iran dialogue, movements in oil prices and the direction of monetary policy in major economies.