S&P 500, Nasdaq hit over six-month lows as Middle East tensions drag on

The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq dropped to their lowest levels in more than six months on Friday, with technology stocks leading declines, as the month-long Middle East war weighed on investor sentiment. U.S. President Donald Trump gave Iran another 10 days to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face the destruction of its energy plants, after Iran rejected his proposals to end the war he launched together with Israel. The postponement did not calm markets as investors were skeptical about the two sides reaching an agreement. Oil prices gained more than 2 percent. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq stayed on track for their fifth week of losses, while the Dow was set to end the week little changed. "What you're talking about here is a level of uncertainty in the extreme... The fog of war has been much denser than in any conflict going back 50-60 years," said Bill Mann, chief investment strategist, Motley Fool Asset Management. The CBOE Volatility Index, considered Wall Street's fear gauge, was up 1.57 points at 29.01. At 11:40 a.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 305.57 points, or 0.66 percent, to

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