Dollar struggles for traction as markets weigh Iran sanctions, Treasury buybacks

The U.S. dollar faced challenges maintaining gains against other currencies on Tuesday as investors analyzed Washington's new Iran sanctions and Treasury efforts to lower longer-dated bond yields. The euro gained slightly to $1.1668, while the British pound strengthened 0.1% to $1.3639. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced expanded sanctions against Iran, urging countries to sever ties with Iran to avoid being cut off from the dollar-based financial system.

Ray Attrill, National Australia Bank's head of FX strategy, noted that the potential dollar weakness at week's end might be reversing due to the new sanctions. The Canadian dollar remained steady at $1.3844, following a 0.6% drop the previous day. The Japanese yen marginally strengthened to 159.21 per dollar. The dollar index, which tracks the U.S. currency against six major peers, slipped marginally to 98.96 in Asian trading.

It had rallied 0.16% overnight, moving away from three-month lows following a revived debasement trade. However, the gain appeared to lack momentum. New Zealand and Australian dollars both rose by 0.1%, trading at $0.5965 and $0.7157, respectively. Bitcoin saw a 1% increase to $78,817.34, after its biggest weekly gain in nearly three and a half years.

Treasury Secretary Bessent's surprise announcement of the Treasury potentially buying back longer-dated bonds to ease borrowing costs offered some support. Despite this, yields on the 2-year and 10-year notes remained flat. Market participants are eagerly anticipating Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh's speech in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, on Friday, hoping for insights into the recent rise in bond yields and reassurance about his independence from the Trump administration.