TOKYO, June 19 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei share average

retreated from a four-month high on Thursday as the threat of

war between the United States and Iran dampened demand for

higher-yielding assets.

The Nikkei 225 Index slid 0.8%, snapping a three-day

rise that lifted the gauge to the highest since February 20. The

broader Topix lost 0.6%.

The Israel-Iran conflict entered its seventh day, and

President Donald Trump was ambiguous about whether the U.S.

would join in bombardment of Iran's nuclear sites.

"Heightened tensions in the Middle East continue to cool

investor sentiment, with the downside appearing to widen," said

Nomura strategist Fumika Shimizu.

There were 48 advancers on the Nikkei against 175 decliners.

The biggest losers were Taiyo Yuden ( TYOYF ), down 3.1%,

followed by Sumitomo Pharma ( DNPUF ), which lost 3%.

The largest gainer was Nippon Steel Corp ( NISTF ), surging

4.3% after it completed its long-simmering $14.9 billion

acquisition of U.S. Steel.