Tokyo, June 4 (Jiji Press)--Tokyo stocks turned sharply lower Thursday amid renewed tensions in the Middle East, with the key Nikkei 225 stock average briefly losing over 1,400 points. The index of 225 selected issues listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's Prime section ended at 67,470.69, down 931.44 points, or 1.36 pct, from Wednesday. It jumped over 1,600 points to close at an all-time high the previous day. The broader TOPIX index also shed ground, finishing 44.35 points, or 1.11 pct, lower at 3,951.85. On Wednesday, Iran attacked civilian facilities in Kuwait, including an airport, and claimed to have struck U.S. military facilities with missiles and drones. "Anxiety (among investors) has increased as Iran and the United States have resumed fighting," an official at a major securities firm said. The Nikkei average pared its losses in the afternoon as investors extended purchases to laggard domestic demand-oriented stocks, an official at a Japanese securities brokerage said. Also weighing on the market was Wednesday's release of weaker-than-expected sales for the February-April period by major U.S. semiconductor maker Broadcom, which dampened investor optimism about artificial intelligence-related stocks. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]