• NZD/USD kicks off the new week on a weaker note as renewed geopolitical risks boost the USD.
• Trump said that the US Navy would start blockading the Strait of Hormuz after failed US-Iran talks.
• Rallying Oil prices revive inflationary fears and reaffirm hawkish Fed bets, also benefiting the USD.

The NZD/USD pair opens with a bearish gap at the start of a new trading week in reaction to failed US-Iran peace talks over the weekend and trades around the 0.5800 mark during the Asian session.

High-level negotiations between the US and Iran ended without a breakthrough, despite nearly 21 hours of intense discussions mediated by Pakistan. US Vice President JD Vance said that Washington placed its final and best offer on the table, but Tehran declined to accept the terms, leading to a stalemate. Furthermore, US President Donald Trump said on Sunday the US Navy would start blockading the Strait of Hormuz, jeopardizing a fragile two-week ceasefire. This, in turn, takes a toll on the global risk sentiment, which is seen underpinning the safe-haven US Dollar (USD) and weighing on the NZD/USD pair.

Meanwhile, the latest developments raise the risk of a further escalation of tensions in the Middle East and fuel concerns about a deepening global energy crisis, triggering a sharp rally in Crude Oil prices and reviving inflation fears. This comes on top of data released on Friday, which showed that US inflation surged in March by the most in nearly four years, and reaffirms bets for a more hawkish stance by the US Federal Reserve (Fed). The outlook remains supportive of a fresh leg up in US Treasury bond yields and further benefits the Greenback, contributing to the heavily offered tone surrounding the NZD/USD pair.

The Wall Street Journal reported that regional countries are working to bring the US and Iran back to the negotiating table within days, keeping  the door open for further diplomacy. This helps limit the pessimism and caps the USD, offering some support to the pair. Nevertheless, the aforementioned fundamental backdrop seems tilted in favor of bearish traders, suggesting that any attempted recovery is more likely to be sold into. Hence, it will be prudent to wait for strong follow-through buying before traders start positioning for the resumption of the NZD/USD pair's recent bounce from the year-to-date trough.