Asian Shares Mostly Gain, Europe Closed04/06 04:52

   Asian markets that were open for trading mostly rose Monday, as investors 
continued to closely watch the war in Iran, soaring oil prices and what 
President Donald Trump might say next.

   TOKYO (AP) -- Asian markets that were open for trading mostly rose Monday, 
as investors continued to closely watch the war in Iran, soaring oil prices and 
what President Donald Trump might say next.

   Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 0.6% to finish at 53,413.68. South Korea's 
Kospi gained 1.4% to 5,450.33. Trading was closed in Australia for Easter; in 
Hong Kong and Shanghai for a traditional Chinese holiday, and in France, 
Germany and Britain in observance of Easter.

   Trump threatened to hit Iran's critical infrastructure hard if the country's 
government doesn't reopen the Strait of Hormuz by his Tuesday deadline. But 
there was no sign Iran was easing its closure of the strait crucial to global 
oil supplies.

   The market is keeping focused on oil prices.

   Benchmark U.S. crude dropped $1.76 to $109.78 a barrel. Brent crude, the 
international standard, lost 73 cents to $108.33 a barrel. Energy markets were 
closed Friday, but the prices have been surging lately on fears that the Iran 
war will drag on longer than expected.

   The U.S. relies on the Persian Gulf for only a fraction of the oil it 
imports, but oil is a commodity and prices are set in a global market. Some 
nations, like resource-poor Japan, import a large portion of their energy needs 
and rely heavily on access to the Strait of Hormuz.

   Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told lawmakers recently that Japan was 
releasing its reserves and was working on alternative routes. South Korea's 
trade ministry said it plans to send at least five ships to Saudi Arabi in the 
coming weeks to establish new oil transport routes in the Red Sea.

   "As we kick off the first full trading week of April, the word uncertainty 
is paramount. Last year it was centered on the impact of 'Liberation Day' 
tariffs, this year it's uncertainty surrounding the ongoing Iranian War," said 
Jay Woods, analyst at Freedom Capital Markets in New York.

   U.S. markets were closed for Good Friday and will reopen Monday. Some 
markets in Europe also did not trade on Friday.

   In currency trading, the U.S. dollar inched down to 159.39 Japanese yen 
Monday from 159.63. The euro cost $1.1555, up from $1.1517.