Asian markets were mixed Tuesday as oil prices eased on hopes of a US-Iran deal, though elevated crude levels capped investor appetite for risk. Energy markets held centre stage after US President Donald Trump signalled "serious negotiations" with Tehran and called off planned strikes, boosting optimism that tensions could. The war the United States and Israel launched February 28 has led to an effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, through which around 20 percent of global oil exports passed in peacetime.