The British pound eased toward $1.35 after hitting a three-year high of $1.363, as escalating Middle East tensions drove investors toward safe-haven assets amid fears of a wider conflict. Overnight, Israel struck Iran’s nuclear sites and key personnel, calling the operation necessary to counter an existential threat. Iran responded with hundreds of drones and warned of further retaliation.
Meanwhile, data showed UK GDP fell 0.3% month-over-month in April—worse than the expected 0.1% decline—partly due to a sharp drop in exports to the US following new tariffs. Signs of economic strain and softer labor demand, highlighted by Tuesday’s employment data, have increased market expectations that the Bank of England will cut interest rates more aggressively than anticipated. At the same time, the pound continues to benefit from broad dollar weakness amid renewed US tariff threats and signs of easing inflation in the US.
