The Rupee opened remarkably weak on Wednesday, with the unrelenting rise in oil ?and a persistent demand-supply mismatch in dollar flows keeping pressure on ?the currency, bankers said. During this slide, ?which has pushed the currency to within about 0.5% of ?its all-time low of 95.21 hit in late March, traders have ?consistently pointed to heavy dollar demand from oil refiners and limited willingness by ?exporters to sell forward dollars in a challenging rupee environment. The rupee's outlook remains decidedly negative, with little sign that oil prices will pull back, as negotiations between the ?United States and Iran to halt the conflict have made no ?headway. Oil prices were choppy on Wednesday amid reports that the United States would extend its ?blockade ?of Iranian ports, a move likely to prolong supply disruptions from the key Middle East producing region. Brent crude was trading near $111 a barrel, having rallied more than 20% since April 20. The dollar firmed on Wednesday as investors awaited a closely watched Federal Reserve ?rate decision in what was likely to be Chair Jerome Powell's swan song, with war in the Middle East raging and ?hopes for an imminent resolution dimming. Currencies held tight ranges in thinned Asia trade, with markets in Japan closed for a holiday and a slew of major central bank decisions still on deck. Against a basket of currencies, the dollar held to a small overnight gain and steadied ?at 98.57. The Canadian dollar strengthened slightly to C$1.3676, ahead of the Bak of Canada's rate decision also due on Wednesday. The yen meanwhile remained on the cusp of 160 per dollar despite a hawkish hold by the Bank of Japan (BOJ) on Tuesday, which signalled a strong chance of a rate hike in coming months. Against the dollar, the Japanese currency was last little changed at 159.55, having received a marginal lift in the wake of the BOJ's decision. As the ?yen continues ?to stay on the back foot, traders remained on alert for a potential intervention from ?Japanese authorities to shore up the currency, with the 160 level often seen as a potential trigger for such a move. Gold was largely steady in choppy trade on Wednesday as investors awaited U.S. ?Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's comments to gauge the impact of the Iran war on the economy amid stalled peace talks. Spot gold was up 0.1% at $4,597.07 per ounce, as of 0243 GMT, after falling to ?its lowest level since April 2 in the previous session. Gold was largely steady in choppy trade on Wednesday as investors awaited U.S. ?Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's comments to gauge the impact of the Iran war on the economy amid stalled peace talks. Spot gold was up 0.1% at $4,597.07 per ounce, as of 0243 GMT, after falling to ?its lowest level since April 2 in the previous session.......