The Kospi<\/a> gained 2.8% while the small-cap Kosdaq was 1.66% higher<\/p>\n Japan’s Nikkei 225<\/a> jumped 1.38%, while the Topix added 0.95% after the country reported that exports climbed 4.2% from a year ago in February, beating estimates.<\/p>\n Economists polled by Reuters had expected a 1.6% rise. Exports had risen 16.8% jump in the previous month.<\/p>\n Australia’s\u00a0S&P\/ASX 200<\/a> was flat in early trade.<\/p>\n Hong Kong Hang Seng index<\/a> futures were set at 25,891, higher than the index’s last close of 25,868.54.<\/p>\n The Middle East war continues to escalate, keeping investors on edge. A\u00a0fresh wave of attacks<\/a>\u00a0on the United Arab Emirates’ energy infrastructure has heightened fears of prolonged supply disruptions amid the Iran war. <\/p>\n The incidents followed a drone strike on the world’s largest ultra-sour gas development, a fire at the UAE’s Fujairah Oil Industry Zone, and damage to a tanker near the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n U.S. oil<\/a>\u00a0prices rose 0.06% to $96.27 as of 7:33 p.m. ET.<\/p>\n Stock Chart IconStock chart icon U.S. stock futures traded near the flat line ahead of the Fed’s policy decision. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average<\/a>\u00a0lost 37 points, or 0.07%.\u00a0S&P 500 futures<\/a>\u00a0dropped 0.07%, while\u00a0Nasdaq 100 futures<\/a>\u00a0fell 0.02%.<\/p>\n Overnight in the U.S., the\u00a0S&P 500<\/a>\u00a0rose as Wall Street built on the momentum seen in the previous session amid developments in the Iran war.<\/p>\n The broad market index closed up 0.25% at 6,716.09, and the\u00a0Nasdaq Composite<\/a>\u00a0climbed 0.47% to finish at 22,479.53. The\u00a0Dow Jones Industrial Average<\/a>\u00a0added 46.85 points, or 0.1%, to end at 46,993.26.<\/p>\n \u2014 CNBC’s Lim Hui Jie, Sean Conlon and Pia Singh contributed to the report.<\/p>\n![\"hide](\"https:\/\/static-redesign.cnbcfm.com\/dist\/a54b41835a8b60db28c2.svg\")
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