Early moves in Asia were minor, leaving the euro below $1.10 after its biggest fall in nearly four months last night.
The yen remained broadly flat at 143.45 against the dollar and the Swiss franc at 0.8463 against the US currency. The New Zealand dollar fell 1.1 percent last night at $0.6283, and oil prices jumped 2.5 percent.
The dollar index rose about 0.5 percent overnight to 101.2, its largest rise since September 25. The dollar also received support from a stronger-than-expected reading of job opportunities in the United States.
Israel said that Iran launched more than 180 ballistic missiles, and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard said that the attack came in response to the recent killings carried out by Israel targeting leaders of armed factions in the region, as well as in response to the aggression against Lebanon and Gaza.
There were no reports of any injuries in Israel. Iran struck Israel in April without causing serious damage. However, the beginning of the Israeli ground attack on Hezbollah inside Lebanon and Israel’s pledge to respond opens the door to the possibility of escalation.
The Australian dollar fell to $0.6883, although losses there were limited due to some optimistic retail sales data released yesterday, Tuesday.
The British pound fell 0.7 percent last night and settled at $1.3278 in early trading in Asia, according to Reuters data.
#dollar #maintains #gains #war #expands #Middle #East