The dollar index (DXY00) climbed to a 2-month high today, up by 0.23%. Concerns over the escalation of the US-Iran conflict are boosting safe-haven demand for the dollar after President Trump said the US will keep attacking Iran and threatened to seize Kharg Island, Iran's main crude exporting hub. Also, higher crude oil prices today raise inflation expectations and could prompt the Fed to tighten monetary policy, a bullish factor for the dollar. Gains in the dollar are limited after weekly US jobless claims unexpectedly rose to a 4-month high, a dovish factor for Fed policy dollar. Also, today's US May PPI report was mixed for the dollar.
The dollar also benefits from safe-haven demand amid the ongoing hostilities between the US and Iran. Late Wednesday, President Trump said the US will continue bombing Iran if it refuses to agree to an interim peace deal. Mr. Trump ordered multiple strikes on Iranian targets on Wednesday, and Iran retaliated by firing on US bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan. Then today, President Trump said the US will be hitting Iran very hard tonight and "at some point" we will be taking Kharg Island, Iran's key export hub, and that the US will assume total control of Iran's oil and gas markets.
