Hong Kong stocks close higher

Hong Kong's stock market ended higher on Monday with the benchmark Hang Seng Index up 1.44 percent to close at 26,608.48 points.

The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index climbed 1.9 percent to 9,220.08 points, and the Hang Seng Tech Index soared 3.1 percent to 5,863.20 points.

The targeted killings of Iran's top leadership, including security chief Ali Larijani, have significantly narrowed diplomatic options and may push the country toward a more hawkish posture, according to a political analyst.

Tensions between Iran and Israeli-U.S. forces have continued to escalate, as a series of targeted strikes killed several high-ranking Iranian officials in recent days.

Among them were Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Larijani, Gholam-Reza Soleimani, chief commander of the voluntary Basij force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and Intelligence Minister Esmaeil Khatib.

Larijani was widely seen as a pragmatic and experienced politician who played a central role in nuclear negotiations and was viewed by many as a bridge between Iran and the West.

Iran's Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has vowed that those responsible will soon have to pay.

In an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Foad Izadi, a political analyst, suggested that the killing of Ali Larijani may represent an effort to eliminate any remaining hopes for diplomatic engagement between Iran and the United States.

"He was a moderate [politician]. He basically wanted to make sure that Iran and the United States reach a political agreement. And I think the reason Israelis killed him was because Israelis don't want Iran and the United States to reach a political agreement. So, he was one of the people who could manage that between the political establishment here. And this is very logical: if these people are killed, the people who will replace individuals like Mr. Larijani will become more hawkish," Izadi said.

Funerals for Larijani and Basij commander Gholam-Reza Soleimani were held in Tehran, drawing a large number of mourners. They expressed both grief and anger, vowing revenge against the United States and Israel.

On Feb. 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities, killing the country's supreme leader, senior military commanders and civilians. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and U.S. assets in the Middle East.