On Friday, European equities edged lower, with AI‑driven uncertainty persisting and tensions in the Persian Gulf continuing to weigh on markets.
Oil prices are poised for a roughly 10 percent weekly rise amid escalating tensions across the Middle East.
Tehran has responded by striking facilities in several Gulf and regional countries after the United States carried out its sixth consecutive night of strikes against Iran over Strait of Hormuz control.
State media said the U.S. targeted civilian infrastructure, including bridges, a train station and an airport.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reportedly struck targets in Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain as part of a widening regional confrontation and claimed to have attacked a U.S. Special Operations Command facility in Syria.
The pan‑European STOXX 600 slipped 0.7 percent to 639.27 on Friday, after having risen 0.2 percent on Thursday.
Germany’s DAX fell 0.8 percent, France’s CAC 40 slipped 0.9 percent, while the U.K.’s FTSE 100 edged higher, buoyed by energy shares such as BP Plc and Shell.
Technology stocks were hit hard, with Infineon Technologies dropping 6 percent and ASML Holding slipping 4.7 percent.
Swedish construction firm Skanska fell 2.3 percent after reporting second‑quarter revenue that matched expectations.
Industrial bearings manufacturer SKF slumped 5.5 percent as second‑quarter sales remained flat.
Saab surged 4.8 percent after reporting a sharp increase in second‑quarter earnings.
Danish bank Danske Bank slipped 1.1 percent even though it beat Q2 profit forecasts and raised its full‑year outlook.
Shares of British luxury fashion house Burberry fell 7 percent, although the company’s recovery continued in Q2 as European and Middle East sales declined 3 percent amid the Iran conflict.