Trump says Iran wants a deal as Hormuz blockade officially begins
US President Donald Trump spoke at a press conference at the Oval Office and praised Vice-President JD Vance's work on Iran, saying that he “has done a very good job on Iran.”
Amongst that, he said that “we’ve been called this morning by the right people on Iran,” and that they “want a deal.” He reiterated that the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has started.
Key highlights:
VICE PRESIDENT VANCE HAS DONE A VERY GOOD JOB ON IRAN
WE'VE BEEN CALLED BY THE OTHER SIDE AND THEY WANT TO MAKE A DEAL VERY BADLY
IRAN DID NOT AGREE TO NOT HAVING A NUCLEAR WEAPON
WE'LL GET NUCLEAR MATERIAL BACK
BLOCKADE HAS STARTED
WE'VE BEEN CALLED THIS MORNING BY THE RIGHT PEOPLE ON IRAN
CHINA'S XI WANTS TO SEE THIS ENDED
TRUMP: WE MAY STOP BY CUBA AFTER WE'RE FINISHED WITH IRAN
Market’s reaction
- Gold prices ticked up from around $4,730 to $4,741 before retreating to $4,734.
- The Dow Jones Industrial paired some of its earlier losses and is flat at 47,926.
- The US Dollar Index (DXY) turned negative, losing 0.09% in the day at 98.61.
Risk sentiment FAQs
In the world of financial jargon the two widely used terms “risk-on” and “risk off'' refer to the level of risk that investors are willing to stomach during the period referenced. In a “risk-on” market, investors are optimistic about the future and more willing to buy risky assets. In a “risk-off” market investors start to ‘play it safe’ because they are worried about the future, and therefore buy less risky assets that are more certain of bringing a return, even if it is relatively modest.
Typically, during periods of “risk-on”, stock markets will rise, most commodities – except Gold – will also gain in value, since they benefit from a positive growth outlook. The currencies of nations that are heavy commodity exporters strengthen because of increased demand, and Cryptocurrencies rise. In a “risk-off” market, Bonds go up – especially major government Bonds – Gold shines, and safe-haven currencies such as the Japanese Yen, Swiss Franc and US Dollar all benefit.
The Australian Dollar (AUD), the Canadian Dollar (CAD), the New Zealand Dollar (NZD) and minor FX like the Ruble (RUB) and the South African Rand (ZAR), all tend to rise in markets that are “risk-on”. This is because the economies of these currencies are heavily reliant on commodity exports for growth, and commodities tend to rise in price during risk-on periods. This is because investors foresee greater demand for raw materials in the future due to heightened economic activity.
The major currencies that tend to rise during periods of “risk-off” are the US Dollar (USD), the Japanese Yen (JPY) and the Swiss Franc (CHF). The US Dollar, because it is the world’s reserve currency, and because in times of crisis investors buy US government debt, which is seen as safe because the largest economy in the world is unlikely to default. The Yen, from increased demand for Japanese government bonds, because a high proportion are held by domestic investors who are unlikely to dump them – even in a crisis. The Swiss Franc, because strict Swiss banking laws offer investors enhanced capital protection.
Author
Christian Borjon Valencia
FXStreet
Markets analyst, news editor, and trading instructor with over 14 years of experience across FX, commodities, US equity indices, and global macro markets.
