British Pound holds range below mid-1.3600s as USD firms amid Fed risks and Iran tensions

The British Pound (GBP) remained confined to the mid-1.3600s range on Tuesday as the US Dollar (USD) exhibited strength, driven by concerns over Federal Reserve (Fed) policy decisions and escalating tensions between the United States and Iran. The pair exhibited a sideways consolidation pattern for the second consecutive day in the Asian trading session.

The USD's ascent was attributed to a lessening of follow-through selling, offering a degree of caution for those anticipating a decline. Despite this, a substantial probability of at least one interest rate hike from the Fed by year-end persists, fueled by persistent inflationary pressures stemming from fluctuating crude oil prices.

Meanwhile, Iran's Supreme National Security Council head, Mohsen Rezaei, had warned of halting oil exports via the Strait of Hormuz should confrontations persist. However, traders demonstrated reluctance to aggressively bet on a USD rally, instead opting to await further clues about the Fed's forthcoming policy trajectory. The GBP/USD pair's technical outlook remains bullish in the short term, contingent upon a break above the 1.3660-1.3665 resistance level.

Conversely, the 200-day Simple Moving Average (SMA) at 1.3431 serves as the primary support, and a sustained breach below this level could erode the overall bullish sentiment and pave the way for a sharper correction.