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- AUD/USD fell to a two-month low of 0.6877 on Friday.
- Rising oil prices weighed on sentiment amid US–Iran peace uncertainty.
- Trump said Washington would pause attacks on Iran’s energy sector for 10 days, while Tehran denied any request.
AUD/USD extends its losing streak for the fourth consecutive day, trading around 0.6880 during the Asian hours on Friday. The pair recorded a two-month low of 0.6877, pressured by weakness in the Australian Dollar (AUD) as rising oil prices weigh on sentiment amid uncertainty surrounding United States (US)–Iran peace talks.
US President Donald Trump said earlier that Washington would pause attacks on Iran’s energy sector for 10 days, extending the previous April 6 deadline to allow room for negotiations. Trump suggested the decision followed a request from Iran. However, the Wall Street Journal reported that mediators say Iran denies making such a request, underscoring the fragility of the diplomatic process and the low likelihood of a near-term ceasefire.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon is considering plans to deploy up to 10,000 additional ground troops to the Middle East. Defence officials noted that the option is intended to enhance strategic flexibility, enabling rapid escalation if talks break down while maintaining a credible deterrent in the region.
On the monetary policy front, Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) Assistant Governor Christopher Kent warned on Thursday that policymakers may need to act to contain inflation as energy prices rise. Kent added that the board remains focused on achieving low, stable inflation and full employment, which could push up short-run neutral rates and necessitate tighter policy.
Federal Reserve (Fed) Governor Stephen Miran said on Thursday that reducing the size of the Fed’s balance sheet would support more effective interest rate policy. Miran outlined a potential path to shrink holdings by $1 trillion to $2 trillion, noting that a smaller balance sheet would give the Fed greater flexibility in future crises, while a larger one risks distorting markets.
US data offered little fresh direction, with Initial Jobless Claims coming in exactly as expected at 210K. Attention now turns to Friday’s University of Michigan (UoM) consumer sentiment and one-year inflation expectations.
