Nikkei Index may rise, driven by overnight gains on Wall Street

The Nikkei Index futures on the GMT+8 exchange rose by 2.0% to 57,665 points. Investors are closely monitoring developments in the Middle East after the US military began blocking maritime traffic attempting to enter or exit Iranian ports. Crude oil prices are also under close watch. On Monday, the Nikkei Index fell by 0.7% to 56,502.77 points.