New Delhi, March 4 -- Indian stock indices closed sharply lower on Wednesday, as US-Iran tensions intensified.

The NIFTY ended at 24,480.50, down 385.20 points or 1.55 per cent. The index opened at 24,388.80 and touched an intraday high of 24,602.45 before sliding to a low of 24,305.40 during the session.

Meanwhile, the BSE SENSEX closed at 79,116.19, declining 1,122.66 points or 1.40 per cent. The share index had settled at 80,238.85 in the previous session. On Wednesday, it opened significantly lower at 78,528.82, hit a high of 79,527.41, and slipped to a low of 78,443.20.

According to Sudeep Shah, Head of Technical and Derivatives Research at SBI Securities, "Nifty opened with a sharp gap down of nearly 500 points amid escalating US...