USD/JPY slipped to about 160.15 in Asian trade on Tuesday as the yen firmed after an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The accord ends a US blockade of Iranian ports and sets a 60-day window for nuclear negotiations, shifting demand back towards the Japanese currency and weighing on the pair. US President Donald Trump said Iran agreed not to ever have a nuclear weapon, while the document was signed on the US side by Trump and Vice President JD Vance and, for Iran, by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
Attention turns to the Bank of Japan interest-rate decision due later on Tuesday, with markets expecting a rise to a 31-year high as policymakers respond to price pressures linked to the energy shock from the Iran war. The meeting will be chaired by Deputy Governor Ryozo Himino because Governor Kazuo Ueda is in hospital with an infected liver cyst. Deputy Governor Shinichi Uchida will deliver the post-meeting press conference, and the absence marks the first time a BoJ governor has missed a policy session since 1998.
Drivers of Yen Strength: Middle East Accord and BoJ Policy Shift
The breakdown of USD/JPY to around 160.15 is the move we have been watching for, and it is happening for fundamental reasons. The dual impact of a potential Bank of Japan rate hike and a de-escalation of conflict in the Middle East creates a strong case for a more powerful yen. We see this not as a temporary dip but as the beginning of a significant trend reversal.
With the Bank of Japan expected to raise interest rates to their highest level in over three decades, the core driver of yen weakness is being dismantled. This move aggressively narrows the interest rate difference between the US and Japan that has fueled the yen carry trade for years. Historically, when the BoJ has pivoted away from ultra-loose policy, the yen has strengthened considerably.
The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz provides another powerful tailwind for the yen by lowering oil prices. Japan imports over 90% of its energy, so a fall in crude prices from recent highs around $78 a barrel directly improves its trade balance and eases inflation. This lessens the pressure on Japanese businesses and consumers, strengthening the currency’s fundamental value.
Strategic Positioning and Key Levels in USD/JPY
Given this outlook, we are positioning for further downside in USD/JPY using derivatives. We recommend buying put options that expire in the coming weeks to capture what we expect to be a swift move lower. Since implied volatility is now elevated, constructing bear put spreads can be a capital-efficient strategy to target a move toward the 155.00 level.
Looking forward, the 160 level that prompted government intervention in 2024 has now become a ceiling reinforced by central bank policy. Our strategy for the next few weeks will be to sell any rallies back toward that area. We anticipate the market will begin to test prior support levels, with an initial focus on the 152.00 zone that was a key battleground last year.
