The Rupee opened near its all-time low on Monday, pressured by concerns that the ?intensifying Iran conflict could keep crude prices higher for longer and ?sustain importer dollar demand. U.S. President Donald Trump said on ?Sunday that his administration is in talks with seven countries about helping secure the Strait of Hormuz, urging them to step up protection for ships transitioning the major oil ?artery, which Tehran has largely blocked to tanker traffic. Meanwhile, Iran on ?Saturday warned it would target any facility in the region with U.S. ties, after ?Washington bombed ?what it said was Tehran's main energy hub. The dollar held near a 10-month high on Monday in a tentative start to the week, as investors braced for ?a slew of central bank meetings under the shadow of the U.S.-Israel war on Iran. At least eight central banks, including the U.S. Federal ?Reserve, the European Central Bank, the Bank of England and the Bank of Japan meet this week to set rates, in their first policy meetings since the Middle East conflict began. Ahead of the meetings, the dollar retraced some of last week's strong gains, leaving the ?euro bouncing slightly from a 7-1/2-month low hit earlier in the session to trade 0.14% higher at $1.1433. Sterling was up 0.17% at $1.3245, though was not far from ?the 3-1/2-month low it hit on Friday as it clocked a 1.5% weekly decline. The dollar index eased slightly to 100.20, but remained perched near last week's 10-month ?high. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday he is demanding that other countries help protect the Strait of Hormuz, adding that Washington is in talks with several nations about policing the critical shipping lane for oil and gas. The Australian dollar was up 0.55% at $0.7019, buoyed by hawkish rate expectations at home as the Reserve Bank of Australia is seen tightening policy on Tuesday. Markets are now pricing in a 74% chance that the RBA could deliver a 25-basis-point hike. The yen meanwhile languished near the 160-per-dollar level and last stood at 159.44. The Japanese ?currency has come under pressure due to the nation's heavy reliance on the Middle East for energy supplies, with the ?war also throwing ?into questionOil ?prices slipped on Monday, paring early gains after U.S. President Donald Trump called on other countries to help safeguard the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global oil and gas shipments. Brent crude futures fell 24 cents, or 0.23%, to $102.90 a barrel by 0049 GMT after settling $2.68 higher ?on Friday. the BOJ's rate outlook.......
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