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British Pound weakens below 1.3550 on renewed US strikes on Iran

  • GBP/USD softens to around 1.3530 in Thursday’s early Asian session. 
  • The US military launched another wave of strikes against Iran. 
  • Rising tensions in the Middle East have prompted traders to increase bets on BoE rate hikes this year. 

The GBP/USD pair declines to near 1.3530 during the early Asian session on Thursday. The British Pound (GBP) weakens against the US Dollar (USD) as renewed conflict and shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have reignited energy-driven inflation risks. Traders brace for the UK monthly Gross Domestic Product (GDP) report and the US Retail Sales data, which are due later on Thursday. 

The US military said it has launched another wave of strikes against Iran in a further effort to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, per the Guardian. Explosions were reported late on Wednesday on Iran’s Qeshm Island, Bandar Abbas, and locations in the Sistan-Baluchestan province.

Iran’s top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said that if Iran did not benefit from its memorandum of understanding with the United States, “We have no reason to adhere to such an understanding.” Rising tensions in the Middle East could boost a safe-haven currency such as the Greenback and act as a headwind for the major pair in the near term. 

Andy Burnham is expected to be officially named UK Prime Minister on July 20, pushing the focus onto his choice of finance minister, given the nation’s shaky public finances.

Traders raise their bets on rate hikes from the Bank of England (BoE) this year, given the expected impact on inflation from higher oil prices.

Money markets are fully pricing in a hike by the November policy meeting, with a second rate hike priced in by April 2027, according to Reuters. Before the US-Iran war, traders had been expecting the BoE to lower interest rates twice this year.

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Euro edges higher against British Pound as oil surge lifts ECB rate expectations

  • EUR/GBP strengthens to around 0.8535 in Wednesday’s early European session.
  • US carries out more strikes on Iran. 
  • Traders boosted wagers on faster BoE and ECB rate hikes after rising oil prices.

The EUR/GBP cross gains momentum to near 0.8535 during the early European trading hours on Wednesday. Traders ramp up bets  on the Bank of England (BoE) and European Central Bank (ECB) rate hikes as oil price surge reignites inflation fears. ECB policymakers Fabio Panetta and Joachim Nagel are set to speak later in the day.

US President Donald Trump’s reimposition of a blockade on Iranian ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz and payment demand for all other cargo have raised oil-driven inflation concerns. On Tuesday, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said that it launched further attacks on Iran, hitting dozens of military targets near the Strait of Hormuz and Iranian coastal areas.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Wednesday that it had targeted what it described as command-and-control, logistics, fuel and military equipment facilities belonging to the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, per Reuters.

Traders are now fully pricing a 25 basis points (bps) BOE hike by September, followed by another before year-end. They also expect the ECB to raise rates by a quarter-point in September, with another hike by year-end all but certain, according to Bloomberg.

ECB President Christine Lagarde emphasized that the central bank remains strictly data-dependent. The official policy account explicitly noted that the June hike was neither a guaranteed sequence nor a guaranteed one-off move. On Wednesday, ECB Governing Council member Martin Kocher said that the central bank prepared to implement monetary policy measures whenever necessary. 

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British Pound advances as US Dollar remains subdued following inflation data

  • GBP/USD rises as the US Dollar sustains losses from soft inflation data, raising expectations for a less hawkish Fed.
  • US June CPI inflation slowed to 3.5% year-over-year from May’s 4.2%, comfortably beating the market consensus of 3.8%.
  • The British Pound gains as energy-driven inflation worries push investors to price in aggressive BoE rate hikes.

GBP/USD rises for the second consecutive day, trading around 1.3400 during the Asian hours on Wednesday. The pair appreciates as the US Dollar (USD) holds losses following softer-than-expected US inflation data, fueling hopes that the US Federal Reserve (Fed) might adopt a less hawkish monetary stance.

The US Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation eased to 3.5% year-over-year in June, dropping from a three-year high of 4.2% in May and coming in well below the market consensus of 3.8%. On a monthly basis, headline CPI actually declined by 0.4% in June, a notable shift from the 0.5% increase recorded in May.

However, the downside of the Greenback could be restrained amid rising safe-haven demand following renewed tensions between the United States (US) and Iran. The renewed Hormuz tensions drive up oil prices, fueling inflation concerns and prolonging higher interest rates by the Federal Reserve (Fed). The CME FedWatch Tool indicates that markets are now pricing in a roughly 50% chance of a Federal Reserve rate hike in September.

The British Pound (GBP) strengthens as Middle East tensions fuel inflation worries from rising energy prices, prompting investors to price in aggressive Bank of England (BoE) rate hikes. Markets now heavily anticipate two increases in 2026, with a September hike fully priced in.

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British Pound strengthens above 1.3350 ahead of US CPI data

  • GBP/USD gathers strength to near 1.3360 in Tuesday’s Asian session. 
  • Renewed US strikes on Iran and fears over Strait of Hormuz shipping might cap the upside for the pair. 
  • BoE’s Pill said interest rates are likely to rise to keep inflation in check. 

The GBP/USD pair trades in positive territory around 1.3360 during the Asian trading hours on Tuesday. However, the potential upside for the major pair might be limited amid fears of an escalating US-Iran conflict. The US June Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation report will take center stage later on Tuesday. 

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Washington was reinstating a naval blockade on Tehran and would ensure the Strait of Hormuz remained open for a fee following fresh exchanges of missile and drone strikes, per Reuters. The US military said that US forces completed new strikes on Iranian military targets, adding that more than 50,000 US service members are currently deployed across the Middle East. 

Meanwhile, the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said on Tuesday that cooperation with the ‘aggressor enemy’ in the Strait of Hormuz will delay the reopening of the waterway and create a global energy crisis. Concerns over escalating tensions between the US and Iran could boost a safe-haven currency such as the US Dollar (USD) and cap the upside for the GBP/USD pair. 

Traders ramped up bets that the Bank of England (BoE) will be forced to raise interest rates this year to keep inflation under control. BoE Chief Economist Huw Pill said that interest rates are likely to rise this year to prevent inflation from becoming entrenched. 

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Pound Slips as Middle East Tensions Weigh on Markets

The pound fell back below $1.34, retreating from three-week highs, as investors reacted to rising Middle East tensions. Oil prices surged following another wave of US strikes on Iran, with both sides clashing over the status of the Strait of Hormuz. The US Central Command confirmed strikes on dozens of targets to curb Iran’s ability to threaten shipping in the region, while Iran declared the strait would remain closed “until further notice.” The resulting uncertainty amplified inflation concerns, prompting investors to increase bets on further Bank of England interest rate hikes. Markets now anticipate at least one rate increase later this year, with a possibility of a second. Politically, Andy Burnham is set to become the new Labour party leader when the leadership contest ends on Friday and is expected to be officially appointed as prime minister next Monday. Sterling’s resilience amid recent political turmoil suggests much of the negative news has already been factored in.

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British Pound gains traction above 1.3400 as markets bet on BoE rate hikes

  • GBP/USD gains ground to near 1.3430 in Friday’s Asian session.
  • Andy Burnham is set to become the next UK Prime Minister on July 20.
  • Iranian officials have reported multiple explosions in the country’s south, including near the Bushehr nuclear facility.

The GBP/USD pair gathers strength to around 1.3430 during the Asian trading hours on Friday. The British Pound (GBP) edges higher against the US Dollar (USD) on the UK government leadership transition and growing expectations of further Bank of England (BoE) interest rate hikes.

Andy Burnham’s path to becoming the next UK prime minister looks certain after a vast majority of Labour MPs formally nominated him to be the next party leader. Bloomberg reported on Thursday that 322 of 403 Labour members of Parliament voted for Burnham at the end of the first day of the party’s leadership contest to replace Keir Starmer. Burnham is expected to formally become Prime Minister on July 20.

Traders increased bets on BoE interest rate hikes amid escalating tensions between the US and Iran. Markets are now fully pricing in a 25 basis points (bps) BoE rate hike by year-end, most likely in December, according to Reuters.

Renewed tensions in the Middle East could boost a safe-haven currency such as the Greenback and cap the upside for the major pair. US forces struck several more locations in coastal Iran on Thursday, according to Iranian state media, though the US did not confirm carrying out the attacks. Iranian officials and state media have reported multiple explosions in the country’s south, including near the Bushehr nuclear facility. 

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EUR/GBP Price Languishes below 0.8550 with bullish attempts subdued

  • EUR/GBP treads water around 0.8530, a few pips above one-year lows, at 0.8519.
  • German Trade Balance surplus beat expectations in May, yet with no impact on the Euro.
  • Rising geopolitical tensions and higher Oil prices are keeping Euro bulls subdued.

The Euro (EUR) keeps treading water right above one-year lows against the British Pound (GBP) on Thursday. The EUR/GBP is trading flat in the area of 0.8530 at the time of writing, weighed by rising tensions between the US and Iran and the rebound in oil prices.

In the Eurozone, German Trade Balance data beat expectations with a EUR 19.1 billion surplus in May, from the 14.5 billion surplus seen in April, as exports grew against expectations. The data, however, has failed to provide any significant support to the Euro.

Meanwhile, the US has launched a new round of attacks in Iran, which targeted US bases in Gulf countries in retaliation. US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the ceasefire was over, and Crude prices have bounced up nearly10% with Brent Oil hitting the $80 level on Wednesday, after bottoming near $70.00 last week.

Technical Analysis: EUR/GBP bears have lost momentum

Chart Analysis EUR/GBP

EUR/GBP shows a bearish near-term tone, although sellers seem to have lost momentum. The Relative Strength Index (14), now near 28, highlights a bullish divergence, while the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) indicator stabilizes around the zero line, hinting at consolidation rather than a decisive bullish reversal.

Bulls, however, must break above the previous yearly low, at 0.8533 (Jul 7 low), and the top of the descending wedge pattern from mid-June highs, now around 0.8555, to confirm a bullish correction.

On the downside, below the mentioned Wednesday’s low at 0.8519, the confluence of the wedge bottom and late June 2025 lows, just above 0.8500, is likely to test bulls. Further down, there is no clear support until the early June 2025 lows, in the area of 0.84100.8863.

Euro Price This week

The table below shows the percentage change of Euro (EUR) against listed major currencies this week. Euro was the strongest against the Japanese Yen.

USDEURGBPJPYCADAUDNZDCHF
USD0.03%-0.46%0.65%-0.20%-0.03%-0.32%0.38%
EUR-0.03%-0.51%0.61%-0.26%-0.03%-0.39%0.30%
GBP0.46%0.51%1.00%0.26%0.47%0.13%0.82%
JPY-0.65%-0.61%-1.00%-0.87%-0.55%-0.93%-0.28%
CAD0.20%0.26%-0.26%0.87%0.30%-0.07%0.56%
AUD0.03%0.03%-0.47%0.55%-0.30%-0.36%0.33%
NZD0.32%0.39%-0.13%0.93%0.07%0.36%0.69%
CHF-0.38%-0.30%-0.82%0.28%-0.56%-0.33%-0.69%

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 Euro from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the US Dollar, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent EUR (base)/USD (quote).