New Delhi, April 2 -- The Indian stock market benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty 50, are likely to open lower on Thursday, amid concerns over the prolonged US-Iran war in the Middle East. US President Donald Trump warned that the US forces will hit Iran very hard in the next 2-3 weeks, but said they will 'finish the job' in Iran soon as 'core strategic objectives are nearing completion.'

The trends on Gift Nifty also indicate a gap-down start for the Indian benchmark index. The Gift Nifty was trading around 22,356 level, a discount of nearly 444 points from the Nifty futures' previous close.

On Wednesday, the Indian stock market rallied, with the benchmark Nifty 50 closing above 22,600 level.

The Sensex jumped 1,186.77 points, or 1.65...