• The Swiss Franc strengthens against the US Dollar after the Fed Minutes reveal divisions over the interest rate outlook.
• Rising tensions between the United States and Iran fuel inflation concerns and support demand for safe-haven assets.
• USD/CHF trades around 0.8065 on Thursday at the time of writing, down 0.15% on the day.

USD/CHF extends its decline for a second consecutive day, trading around 0.8065 at the time of writing, losing 0.15% on Thursday, pressured by a weaker US Dollar (USD) following the release of the latest Federal Reserve (Fed) Meeting Minutes. The Minutes showed that policymakers remain divided over the future path of interest rates, with some expecting the policy rate to end the year near its current 3.6% level, while others believe an additional rate hike may be necessary before year-end.

This uncertainty over the monetary policy outlook is weighing on the US Dollar, despite resilient US economic data. The latest figures from the Department of Labor showed that Initial Jobless Claims fell to 215K in the week ending July 4 from 217K previously, while Continuing Jobless Claims edged slightly higher to 1.814M.

However, geopolitical tensions are limiting the Greenback's losses. Renewed friction between the United States (US) and Iran is fueling concerns over energy-driven inflation, reinforcing expectations that the Fed could keep monetary policy restrictive for longer. According to the CME FedWatch tool, markets now assign a chance of more than 30% to a rate hike at the next Fed meeting, up from less than 20% a week ago. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that any further US military action would trigger retaliation and reiterated that the Strait of Hormuz remains under Iranian control.

At the same time, the Swiss Franc (CHF) continues to benefit from its safe-haven appeal. Rising inflation concerns and geopolitical risks are supporting demand for the Swiss currency, while the Swiss National Bank (SNB) has reiterated that it remains ready to intervene in the foreign exchange market if necessary to prevent excessive Swiss Franc appreciation and limit imported inflation.