US Dollar Up as Hopes For Middle East Peace Agreement Fades

Singapore, April 02 (QNA) – The US dollar rose against major currencies on Thursday, reversing two days of losses after US President Donald Trump’s speech on Iran dashed hopes for a near-term ceasefire in the Middle East conflict, exacerbating market turmoil and investor anxiety.

The dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of currencies, climbed to 99.925 after the speech. It was last trading at 99.861, up 0.3 percent.

The euro fell to $1.1554 and the pound to $1.3254, both down about 0.3 percent against the dollar after the speech.

The risk-sensitive Australian and New Zealand dollars fell about 0.6 percent to trade at $0.68865 and $0.5719, respectively.

The Japanese yen traded lower at 159.25 yen, but remained well below the important psychological level of 160 yen. (QNA)