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The Bank of Japan (BoJ) is expected to leave its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 0.75% at the end of its monetary policy meeting on Thursday, adopting a cautious stance as the Iran war-related spike in energy prices adds uncertainty to the economic and inflation outlook.

US President Donald Trump's administration plans to deploy thousands of US troops to reinforce its operation in the Middle East, as the US military prepares for possible next steps in its campaign against Iran, Reuters reported on Thursday. 

GBP/USD fell around 0.7% on Wednesday, sliding below the 1.3300 handle as Cable continues to grapple with the technical level. The sell-off extends the pullback from the late-January high near 1.3870, with the pair now trading below both of its key daily moving averages.

MUFG’s Senior Currency Analyst Michael Wan warns that prolonged conflict in Iran and a sustained Strait of Hormuz closure could push USD/VND above 27,000 in 2026, versus a base case of 26,300 by March and 26,600 by December.

UOB economists Enrico Tanuwidjaja and Vincentius Ming Shen note that Bank Indonesia (BI) kept its policy rate at 4.75% in March while shifting to a more hawkish stance.

The GBP/JPY register losses of 0.20& on Wednesday as investors wait for the Bank of Japan monetary policy decision on Thursday.

NZD/USD dropped around 1.25% on Wednesday, knocking against the 200-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) before sellers drove the pair sharply lower to settle near 0.5790.

New Zealand's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 0.2% QoQ in the fourth quarter (Q4), compared with a 0.9% expansion (revised from 1.1%) in the third quarter, Statistics New Zealand showed on Thursday. This reading came in weaker than the expectation of 0.4%.

According to MUFG’s Senior Currency Analyst Michael Wan, Philippine authorities signalled that rate hikes may be considered if Oil price increases and disruptions linked to the Iran war persist.

AUD/USD fell around 1.15% on Wednesday, chalking in another sharp rejection from the 0.7100 handle to settle near 0.7025. The pair pushed briefly above 0.7120 early in the session before sellers took control, extending a pattern of failed attempts to reclaim the year-to-date high close to 0.7190.