Bank of Japan rate decision looms with yen under pressure.

Bank of Japan rate decision looms with yen under pressure. The BOJ is expected to hold interest rates unchanged on Tuesday, but Governor Kazuo Ueda faces a critical communication challenge as the yen weakens toward intervention levels near 159.50 per dollar. Markets have dramatically shifted expectations, with rate hike odds dropping to just seven percent from earlier bullish forecasts. Geopolitical tensions, including Trump's Iran policies and surging oil prices, have forced economists to push expectations for the next rate increase to June. The real focus will be Ueda's messaging about the BOJ's commitment to future normalization and supporting the yen. Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama has signaled heightened vigilance regarding speculative currency moves.