Washington’s fragile ceasefire with Tehran moved close to collapse after President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s latest response to a US peace proposal and described the arrangement as being on “massive life support”. Trump’s remarks on Monday marked one of the sharpest public assessments of the 10-week conflict, which has already disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, lifted energy prices and strained diplomacy across the Gulf. Speaking […]
By Nitya Chakraborty The U.S. President Donald Trump begins his three-day visit to China on May 13 for his summit with the Chinese President Xi Jinping, the outcome of which has special significance for Trump in shaping his political future in the context of the midterm elections in November this year. Among both leaders, the […]
The article Donald Trump-Xi Jinping Are Both Aiming For Win-Win Outcome At Beijing Summit appeared first on Latest India news, analysis and reports on Newspack by India Press Agency).
Gold prices fell on Monday as President Donald Trump’s rejection of Iran’s latest peace proposal deepened concern that a prolonged squeeze on the Strait of Hormuz will keep energy costs elevated and complicate the fight against inflation. Spot gold dropped 0.8 per cent to $4,678.39 an ounce, while US gold futures for June delivery declined 0.9 per cent to $4,686.20. The fall came despite renewed geopolitical strain, […]
Iran has handed Washington its formal response to a US peace proposal, but the exchange has deepened uncertainty over whether a 10-week war can be halted before the Strait of Hormuz crisis inflicts wider damage on energy markets and regional security. The response was delivered through Pakistan, which has emerged as a key mediator between Tehran and Washington. Iran’s position centres on an immediate cessation of hostilities […]
Global oil markets are consuming their emergency cushion at a record pace as the Iran war keeps Persian Gulf flows constrained, turning inventories into the main defence against a supply shock that has already reshaped prices, refining and fuel security across major importing economies. Visible stockpiles fell by about 4.8 million barrels a day between 1 March and 25 April, far above earlier quarterly drawdown peaks, while […]
UAE air defence systems were activated early on Friday after authorities detected incoming missile and drone threats from Iran, the third such episode this week as Gulf security tensions deepened around the Strait of Hormuz. The National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority issued an alert shortly after 6.30am UAE time on May 8, urging residents to remain in safe locations and follow official channels for warnings […]
Russia and Ukraine traded large-scale drone attacks as a Moscow-declared Victory Day ceasefire took effect, deepening doubts over whether either side would observe the temporary halt in fighting around one of Russia’s most politically charged national commemorations. Moscow said its air defences destroyed 264 Ukrainian drones in the early hours of Friday, including aircraft aimed at the capital and targets in Russia’s Perm region. The claims followed […]
Matein Khalid With SanDisk (SNDK) up 4000%, Western Digital Corp (WDC) up 900% and Micron Technology (MU) up 680% in the past year, I guess every investor who prostrated before the Chip Gods has every reason now to cash out now that memory Xanadu has been attained. The Philly Chip Index 50 day moving average is now 35% below its current level, so this is where strategic […]
UAE air defence systems intercepted ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones on Tuesday evening, after loud sounds were reported across parts of the country during a fresh wave of aerial threats linked to the wider Gulf confrontation. The Ministry of Defence said the explosions heard by residents were caused by air defence units engaging hostile projectiles and unmanned aircraft. The statement sought to reassure the public […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai US President Donald Trump has temporarily halted Washington’s ship-escort operation through the Strait of Hormuz, saying talks with Tehran have made “great progress” toward a wider settlement after weeks of disruption to one of the world’s most critical energy corridors. The pause, announced on Tuesday, came only hours after Secretary of State Marco Rubio detailed a US effort that began on Monday […]
Lebanese soldiers entered Beirut’s southern suburbs and detained suspected gunmen after celebratory fire and rocket-propelled grenades were discharged during a Hezbollah funeral, an unusual assertion of state authority inside one of the group’s most sensitive urban strongholds. The operation in Kafaat followed gunfire during a procession for Hezbollah supporters killed in Israeli strikes, with residents reporting panic as bullets rang out across densely populated neighbourhoods. Army units […]
Oil at $80 would once have been considered elevated. Now it would be interpreted as stability, and that shift alone reveals how fundamentally the market has changed. Brent crude moving beyond $120 this week is widely being described as a spike driven by geopolitical tension. That interpretation is too narrow. Price action reflects something deeper and more consequential: a structural reset in how energy is priced, traded, […]
Japan’s yen rallied sharply against the dollar on Friday as traders braced for further official action from Tokyo after suspected currency intervention jolted global markets during a packed week of central bank decisions.
The dollar fell to around 155.60 yen at one point in London trading, before recovering part of the move to trade near 156.40. The rebound in the yen followed a dramatic reversal on Thursday, when the Japanese currency strengthened by about 3 per cent after the dollar briefly climbed above 160 yen, a level widely viewed in markets as politically sensitive for Tokyo.
Japan’s top currency official Atsushi Mimura said authorities remained concerned about speculative moves and were watching markets closely. Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama had already warned that Tokyo was ready to take decisive action if currency movements became disorderly. The comments reinforced market expectations that further intervention could follow, particularly during Japan’s Golden Week holiday period, when thinner trading conditions can magnify exchange-rate swings.
Bank of Japan money-market data suggested authorities may have spent about 5.48 trillion yen, or roughly $35 billion, to support the currency on Thursday. The scale would be close to the size of Japan’s July 2024 intervention, when authorities moved after the yen weakened to a 38-year low near 162 per dollar. Tokyo typically does not confirm intervention immediately, preferring to disclose monthly figures later, but unusually large projected fund flows at the central bank often provide an early signal of official activity.
The pressure on the yen has been building for months as the interest-rate gap between Japan and the United States remains wide. The Bank of Japan kept its policy rate at around 0.75 per cent this week, although three board members dissented and argued for a rise to 1 per cent. That split underlined growing concern inside the central bank that imported inflation, higher energy costs and yen weakness could feed into domestic prices.
The Federal Reserve also left rates unchanged, keeping its target range at 3.5 to 3.75 per cent. The gap between US and Japanese yields continues to encourage carry trades, in which investors borrow cheaply in yen and invest in higher-yielding dollar assets. Such positioning has made the yen vulnerable whenever markets believe Tokyo’s warnings lack force.
The intervention threat gained urgency after oil prices climbed on concerns over disruption linked to the Iran conflict and risks around the Strait of Hormuz. Japan, heavily dependent on imported energy, faces a double blow from higher crude prices and a weaker currency, which raises the local cost of fuel, food and raw materials. That dynamic complicates the Bank of Japan’s effort to normalise policy gradually without damaging a fragile recovery.
The broader central bank backdrop added to volatility. The European Central Bank kept its deposit rate at 2 per cent while signalling that inflation risks had intensified. The Bank of England held Bank Rate at 3.75 per cent in an 8-1 vote, with one policymaker favouring an increase. Across major economies, policymakers are balancing weaker growth signals against renewed price pressures from energy and supply disruptions.
Currency traders said Japan’s challenge is that intervention can slow a slide but rarely reverses a trend unless supported by monetary policy or a shift in global rates. A one-off operation may force investors to cut speculative positions, but renewed dollar strength can quickly restore pressure on the yen if US yields remain elevated and the Bank of Japan moves cautiously.
The timing of the suspected intervention was also significant. With European markets partly thinned by the May Day holiday and Japan heading into an extended holiday stretch, liquidity conditions were expected to remain fragile. Authorities have often chosen moments of thin trading to maximise the impact of currency operations, but such moves also increase the risk of sudden reversals when full market participation returns.
For households and companies in Japan, the exchange-rate battle has direct economic consequences. A weaker yen benefits exporters by raising the value of overseas earnings, but it also lifts import bills and squeezes consumers through higher costs. Large manufacturers have been able to absorb some of the pressure, while smaller businesses reliant on imported inputs face tighter margins.
US President Donald Trump has urged Iran to “get smart soon” and sign a deal, sharpening pressure on Tehran as efforts to end the conflict remain stalled and Washington weighs keeping a naval blockade of Iranian ports in place for months. Trump used a Truth Social post on Wednesday to accuse Iran of failing to reach what he called a “non-nuclear deal”, saying Tehran “couldn’t get its […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Global equities advanced and crude oil retreated from session highs after Iran offered Washington a proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and move towards ending the war, easing pressure on investors after stalled peace efforts had lifted energy prices. Asian shares rose 1.4 per cent, while the MSCI emerging markets index climbed to a record high as traders reacted to signs that […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Gulf bourses posted modest gains on Sunday even as hopes of a diplomatic breakthrough in the US-Israeli conflict with Iran weakened, leaving investors to balance fragile ceasefire expectations against higher oil prices, inflation risks and slowing global growth. Trading was cautious across the region, with market moves reflecting selective buying rather than broad confidence. Saudi Arabia’s benchmark index rose 0.1 per cent, supported […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai President Donald Trump has cancelled a planned visit to Pakistan by two of his senior envoys for negotiations over the Iran conflict, leaving a fragile ceasefire under deeper strain and casting doubt on the next phase of diplomacy aimed at halting a war that has unsettled energy markets and widened security risks across West Asia. Trump told Jared Kushner, his son-in-law, and special […]
Washington’s plan to send Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Pakistan has opened a narrow diplomatic track with Tehran, even as Iran publicly dampened expectations of direct talks to halt an eight-week war that has unsettled energy markets and deepened regional instability. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Friday that Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s special envoy, and Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, would leave on Saturday […]
Washington’s push for renewed face-to-face talks with Tehran has slowed as President Donald Trump’s combative social media messages and continuing naval blockade of Iranian ports deepen distrust around a fragile ceasefire. Officials familiar with the negotiations say the tone of Trump’s Truth Social posts, combined with military pressure in and around the Strait of Hormuz, has complicated efforts by Pakistan and other intermediaries to bring the […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Oil climbed for a fifth straight session as stalled efforts to revive US-Iran de-escalation talks left traders bracing for a prolonged disruption to energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important crude and gas corridors. Brent crude rose about 0.5% to trade near $106 a barrel, lifting its gains for the year to roughly 74%. The benchmark […]
By K Raveendran Oil’s refusal to break decisively towards $100 a barrel, despite a tense geopolitical backdrop and repeated threats tied to the Strait of Hormuz, says something important about how markets are reading the balance between rhetoric and reality. At one level, the price action looks counterintuitive. A blockade or even a serious disruption […]
The article Oil Refusal To Hit $100 Reveals Confidence Against Supply Disruption appeared first on Latest India news, analysis and reports on Newspack by India Press Agency).
Two fully laden Iranian tankers have slipped out of the Persian Gulf with their tracking signals muted, underscoring how Tehran’s oil trade is adapting to a tightening US-led maritime squeeze even as warships, seizures and threats of interception raise the stakes across one of the world’s most critical energy corridors. Reports circulating on Wednesday said the vessels were part of a broader flotilla that has moved millions […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Commodity trading houses are drawing another surge in earnings as the conflict centred on Iran tears through oil, gas and shipping markets, sending prices higher, widening regional differentials and creating the kind of volatility that large physical merchants have historically turned into outsized gains. The upheaval has hit flows through the Strait of Hormuz, jolted tanker availability, lifted insurance costs and scrambled crude […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Donald Trump has warned that large-scale bombing of Iran will resume if no agreement is reached before the ceasefire expires on Wednesday evening in Washington, sharpening pressure on Tehran at a moment when diplomacy remains uncertain and the risk of a wider regional shock is still high. The US president has said his sole fixed demand is that Iran must not acquire a […]
