Dollar Firms Up on Safe-Haven Demand

2026-03-03 01:49 By Jam Kaimo Samonte 1 min. read

The dollar index hovered around 98.5 on Tuesday after jumping nearly 1% in the previous session, supported by safe-haven flows amid risks of further escalations in the US and Israeli war against Iran.

A senior US official reportedly indicated that Washington is preparing for a significant ramp-up in attacks on Iran within the next 24 hours, targeting the country’s missile production facilities, drone programs and naval assets.

The greenback also drew support from expectations that rising energy prices, driven by the conflict, will fuel higher inflation and reduce the likelihood of near-term interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve.

Markets have pushed back expectations for the next Fed rate reduction to September from previous forecasts of July, although two 25 basis point cuts are still priced in.

Meanwhile, elevated energy costs and inflation risks weighed on currencies of other major energy-importing economies, particularly in Europe and Japan.



News Stream
Dollar Firms Up on Safe-Haven Demand
The dollar index hovered around 98.5 on Tuesday after jumping nearly 1% in the previous session, supported by safe-haven flows amid risks of further escalations in the US and Israeli war against Iran. A senior US official reportedly indicated that Washington is preparing for a significant ramp-up in attacks on Iran within the next 24 hours, targeting the country’s missile production facilities, drone programs and naval assets. The greenback also drew support from expectations that rising energy prices, driven by the conflict, will fuel higher inflation and reduce the likelihood of near-term interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. Markets have pushed back expectations for the next Fed rate reduction to September from previous forecasts of July, although two 25 basis point cuts are still priced in. Meanwhile, elevated energy costs and inflation risks weighed on currencies of other major energy-importing economies, particularly in Europe and Japan.
2026-03-03
Dollar Rises on Middle East Conflict
The dollar index climbed above 98.5 on Monday, hitting a five-week high as investors sought safe-haven assets amid the escalating war in the Middle East. The US and Israel carried out military strikes on Iran over the weekend that resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran retaliated by targeting US assets across the region, raising concerns of a broader conflict. Meanwhile, data on Friday showed US producer prices rose more than expected in January, indicating that companies are passing tariff costs to consumers and complicating the path for Federal Reserve rate cuts. Still, markets are pricing in two 25-basis-point rate cuts this year amid speculation that recent market turmoil could prompt the central bank to ease monetary settings.
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DXY Rises 0.5% on Middle East Conflict
The DXY rose 0.5% to 98 on Monday, the highest in 5 weeks, as investors moved to safe-haven assets after US and Israel strike on Iran over the weekend resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The conflict has significantly disrupted maritime traffic in the oil-rich Gulf. Iran also launched attacks on US assets across neighboring states, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iraq and Syria.
2026-03-02