Dollar set for weekly gain on stalled US-Iran talks and Middle East uncertainty

The ​dollar was on track for its first weekly gain in three weeks on Friday, as stalled peace negotiations between the US ‌and Iran dampened hopes for an immediate easing of Middle East tensions. While Lebanon and Israel extended their ceasefire for three weeks ahead of its expiration on Sunday, Iran showed off its control over the Strait of Hormuz by releasing footage of its commandos storming a huge cargo ship, leaving the timing of the reopening of the world’s most important shipping corridor uncertain and keeping ​oil prices elevated. The dollar index , which measures the greenback against a basket of currencies including the yen and the euro, was little moved at 98.82 ​and remained on track for a weekly gain of 0.58%. The euro was flat at $1.1683, while sterling edged down 0.02% to $1.3464.