Global shares decline as tensions simmer in the Middle East

Many central banks are opting to ease the cost of borrowing as uncertainty over US tariffs and geopolitical crises threaten global growth (Lee Jin-man/AP)

Global shares retreated on Thursday as worries persisted about conflict in the Middle East.

On the seventh day of a conflict that began with a surprise wave of Israeli airstrikes targeting military sites, senior officers and nuclear scientists, Iranian state media reported that Iran’s foreign minister planned to meet his European counterparts in Geneva.