Asian currencies gained on Friday as market risk sentiment improved after the White House announced President Donald Trump would delay any decision on military action against Iran for two weeks. The move helped ease fears of an imminent U.S. escalation in the Iran-Israel conflict, leading to a retreat in the U.S. dollar.
The dollar index slipped 0.2% following the announcement, reversing some gains made earlier in the week after the Federal Reserve maintained a hawkish stance during its recent meeting. Despite the dip, the greenback remained up 0.4% for the week, supported by Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s comments on holding rates steady amid inflation risks from proposed trade tariffs.
Improved risk appetite weighed on the Japanese yen, although the currency strengthened 0.2% against the dollar (USDJPY) after hotter-than-expected CPI data and hawkish Bank of Japan minutes signaled further rate hikes. Japan’s national core inflation surged to a 2.5-year high in May, reinforcing expectations of more tightening from the BOJ despite caution over U.S. trade tensions.
China’s yuan was little moved after the People’s Bank of China held its loan prime rate steady, with USDCNY easing 0.1%. The South Korean won gained as USDKRW dropped 0.7%, while the Indian rupee and Singapore dollar saw their USD pairs fall 0.3% and 0.2%, respectively. The Australian dollar also rebounded, with AUDUSD rising 0.3% after recent losses.
Markets remained uncertain about the timing of Japan’s next rate hike, while U.S. monetary policy and geopolitical developments continued to influence global currency moves. As traders assessed inflation data, central bank signals, and geopolitical risks, the short-term outlook favored Asian currencies amid easing war concerns.
