Pound Sterling scales higher as USD weakens amid renewed US-Iran peace deal hopes
- GBP/USD gains positive traction for the second straight day amid a broadly weaker USD.
- Hopes for a US-Iran peace deal and fading hawkish Fed bets exert pressure on the buck.
- BoE rate hike expectations act as a tailwind for the GBP and further support spot prices.
The GBP/USD pair attracts buyers for the second consecutive day on Wednesday and moves away from the weekly low, around the 1.3515-1.3510 area, which was touched the previous day. The optimism over a potential US-Iran peace deal undermines the safe-haven US Dollar (USD) and lifts spot prices to the 1.3580 region during the Asian session.
US President Donald Trump said that ‘Project Freedom’ – aimed at restoring commercial shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz – will be paused for a short period of time to see if the Iran peace deal can be finalised. This comes hours after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that the US-Iran ceasefire holds for now and that the US was not seeking to re-escalate tensions with Tehran. The comments lift hopes for a quick resolution of the US-Iran conflict and boost investors' confidence, prompting some selling around the USD and providing a goodish lift to the GBP/USD pair.
Meanwhile, the latest developments trigger a fresh leg down in Crude Oil prices, which helps ease inflationary concerns and tempers market expectations for a more hawkish US Federal Reserve (Fed). The outlook turns out to be another factor weighing on the Greenback. The British Pound (GBP), on the other hand, draws support from the Bank of England's (BoE) signal that rate hikes could be appropriate if inflation remains persistent. This further contributes to the GBP/USD pair follow-through move higher and backs the case for a further near-term appreciating move.
Moving ahead, the US ADP report on private-sector employment, along with speeches by influential FOMC members, could provide some impetus later during the early North American session. The key focus, however, will be on the closely-watched US Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) report on Friday. Apart from this, the incoming geopolitical headlines might continue to infuse volatility across the global financial markets, which will drive the USD and the GBP/USD pair. Nevertheless, the fundamental backdrop suggests that the path of least resistance for spot prices is to the upside.
US Dollar Price Today
The table below shows the percentage change of US Dollar (USD) against listed major currencies today. US Dollar was the strongest against the Canadian Dollar.
| USD | EUR | GBP | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | -0.24% | -0.26% | -0.16% | -0.14% | -0.57% | -0.60% | -0.25% | |
| EUR | 0.24% | -0.03% | 0.09% | 0.10% | -0.32% | -0.39% | -0.01% | |
| GBP | 0.26% | 0.03% | 0.11% | 0.13% | -0.29% | -0.35% | 0.04% | |
| JPY | 0.16% | -0.09% | -0.11% | 0.00% | -0.43% | -0.47% | -0.06% | |
| CAD | 0.14% | -0.10% | -0.13% | -0.00% | -0.42% | -0.46% | -0.08% | |
| AUD | 0.57% | 0.32% | 0.29% | 0.43% | 0.42% | -0.03% | 0.34% | |
| NZD | 0.60% | 0.39% | 0.35% | 0.47% | 0.46% | 0.03% | 0.38% | |
| CHF | 0.25% | 0.00% | -0.04% | 0.06% | 0.08% | -0.34% | -0.38% |
The heat map shows percentage changes of major currencies against each other. The base currency is picked from the left column, while the quote currency is picked from the top row. For example, if you pick the US Dollar from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the Japanese Yen, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent USD (base)/JPY (quote).
Author
Haresh Menghani
FXStreet
Haresh Menghani is a detail-oriented professional with 10+ years of extensive experience in analysing the global financial markets.
