The Nikkei 225 Index fell 1.8% to below 52,700, while the broader Topix Index dropped 0.9% to 3,610 on Friday, extending losses from the previous session and following a sharp selloff on Wall Street amid skepticism over Iran war negotiations. Reports also emerged that the US is considering sending up to 10,000 additional ground troops to the Middle East. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump delayed his deadline for Iran to reach a deal or face further attacks by 10 days. Investors remained cautious amid conflicting reports on the Middle East, while elevated oil prices stoked inflation concerns and reinforced expectations for rate hikes this year. Tech and AI-linked stocks led the decline, with steep losses for Kioxia Holdings (-7.1%), Fujikura (-4.7%), Advantest (-5.1%), Disco Corp (-3.5%), and Tokyo Electron (-4.4%).