Asia-Pacific markets are expected to fall as investors anticipate escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran, which have escalated into a fourth week. President Donald Trump threatened to "obliterate" Iran's power plans if Tehran fails to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global energy flows, within 48 hours. Iran's Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that attacks on the country's power plants would be met with retaliatory strikes on energy and oil infrastructure across the region. The U.N. and Iranian governments have also threatened to target financial entities that purchase American government bonds and contribute to the US's military budget.