Japanese Yen weakens to over two-week low vs USD on Iran tensions; USD/JPY retakes 159.00
Ni Haresh Menghani
Na-update: 18 May 2026
Sikat na Artikulo
The USD/JPY pair scales higher for the sixth consecutive day – also marking the seventh day of a positive move in the previous eight – and climbs to a two-and-a-half-week high during the Asian session on Monday.
- USD/JPY attracts follow-through buying for the sixth straight day amid a broadly firmer USD.
- Rising geopolitical tensions and Fed rate hike bets lift the USD to its highest level since April 7.
- Economic concerns due to the Iran conflict counter intervention fears and undermine the JPY.
The USD/JPY pair scales higher for the sixth consecutive day – also marking the seventh day of a positive move in the previous eight – and climbs to a two-and-a-half-week high during the Asian session on Monday. Spot prices now look to build on the momentum above the 159.00 mark and remain well supported by a broadly firmer US Dollar (USD).
The USD Index (DXY), which tracks the Greenback against a basket of currencies, advances to its highest level since April 7 amid rising US-Iran tensions and hawkish US Federal Reserve (Fed) expectations. US President Donald Trump warned Iran that the “clock is ticking” and that there “won’t be anything left” if action is not taken soon, adding that “time is of the essence.” Adding to this, the Times of Israel reported on Saturday that Israel and the US are actively advancing military preparations to potentially resume coordinated attacks against Iran. This keeps geopolitical risks premium in play and continues to underpin the USD's reserve currency status.
Meanwhile, the US-Iran standoff, along with the effective closure of the critical Strait of Hormuz, pushes Crude Oil prices to a two-week high. This revives concerns that the war-driven surge in energy prices will fuel inflationary pressures and force the US Federal Reserve (Fed) to adopt a more hawkish stance. According to the CME Group's FedWatch Tool, traders are now pricing in over a 50% chance that the Fed will raise borrowing costs by the end of this year. The outlook remains supportive of elevated US Treasury bond yields, which turns out to be another factor supporting the Greenback and contributing to the bid tone surrounding the USD/JPY pair.
The Japanese Yen (JPY), on the other hand, is weighed down by concerns about economic risks stemming from the Middle East conflict. However, speculations that Japanese authorities might step in again to prop up the domestic currency might hold back the JPY bears from placing aggressive bets and act as a headwind for the USD/JPY pair. In the absence of any relevant market-moving economic releases, intervention fears warrant some caution before positioning for any further appreciating move.
Japanese Yen Price Last 7 Days
The table below shows the percentage change of Japanese Yen (JPY) against listed major currencies last 7 days. Japanese Yen was the strongest against the British Pound.
| USD | EUR | GBP | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | 1.12% | 1.79% | 1.49% | 0.54% | 1.32% | 1.78% | 1.16% | |
| EUR | -1.12% | 0.65% | 0.42% | -0.59% | 0.19% | 0.65% | 0.03% | |
| GBP | -1.79% | -0.65% | -0.74% | -1.26% | -0.48% | -0.00% | -0.62% | |
| JPY | -1.49% | -0.42% | 0.74% | -0.99% | -0.18% | 0.28% | -0.29% | |
| CAD | -0.54% | 0.59% | 1.26% | 0.99% | 0.86% | 1.28% | 0.61% | |
| AUD | -1.32% | -0.19% | 0.48% | 0.18% | -0.86% | 0.46% | -0.15% | |
| NZD | -1.78% | -0.65% | 0.00% | -0.28% | -1.28% | -0.46% | -0.61% | |
| CHF | -1.16% | -0.03% | 0.62% | 0.29% | -0.61% | 0.15% | 0.61% |
The heat map shows percentage changes of major currencies against each other. The base currency is picked from the left column, while the quote currency is picked from the top row. For example, if you pick the Japanese Yen from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the US Dollar, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent JPY (base)/USD (quote).
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