SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Asian stocks rebounded on Thursday and oil beat a retreat, as the United States and Iran backed away from the brink of further conflict in the Middle East and investors reversed their safety plays.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Oil rose sharply, with U.S. crude rising nearly $3, on Wednesday after the U.S. said its forces in Iraq were attacked by Iranian ballistic missiles, raising the prospect of a regional conflagration that could cut oil supplies.

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Asian shares and U.S. treasury yields plunged on Wednesday, while gold and oil shot higher after Iran fired rockets at an Iraqi airbase that hosts U.S. military forces, stoking fears of further sharp escalations in a developing conflict.

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Asian shares rebounded on Tuesday as a day passed without any new escalation in the Middle East and Wall Street erased early losses to end in the black as tech stocks climbed.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - The safe-haven Japanese yen hit a three-month high on Monday, while gold soared as increasing tensions between Iran and the United States sent investors scurrying to less risky assets.

BEIJING (Reuters) - China’s services sector expanded at a slower pace in December following a strong rebound in the previous month, with business confidence falling to the second lowest on record despite a pick-up in new orders, a private survey showed on Monday.