USD/JPY pulls back from a more than one-month peak reached on Thursday, although selling pressure remains limited. The US Dollar faces headwinds following the Israel–Lebanon ceasefire, while concerns over potential Japanese intervention also weigh on the pair. Nevertheless, the broader technical picture remains constructive, suggesting traders should be cautious about anticipating a deeper corrective decline.

The USD/JPY pair edged lower during Thursday’s Asian trading session as speculation grew that Japanese authorities could once again intervene to support the Japanese Yen (JPY). At the same time, the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon encouraged traders to lock in profits on US Dollar (USD) positions, adding downward pressure to the pair.
Despite the pullback, selling momentum remains limited, with the pair continuing to trade near the key 160.00 level and close to a one-month peak reached earlier in the day. Concerns about the broader economic impact of tensions in the Middle East have discouraged aggressive Yen buying. Meanwhile, lingering uncertainty surrounding US-Iran negotiations and expectations that the US Federal Reserve (Fed) will maintain a hawkish stance continue to underpin the USD, helping to cushion losses in USD/JPY.
From a technical standpoint, the pair maintains a positive near-term outlook within a rising channel pattern. The channel’s lower boundary aligns closely with the 200-period Simple Moving Average (SMA), which provided support on Wednesday. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) remains above its midpoint, signaling mild bullish momentum, while the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) has flattened slightly below zero.
These indicators suggest the uptrend may be slowing rather than reversing. Consequently, any short-term decline could attract renewed buying interest around the important support zone near 159.45. However, a decisive break below this area could trigger additional technical selling and open the door for a deeper correction. As long as the pair holds above the 159.44 support region, the broader bullish bias remains intact, with a move toward the upper boundary of the channel near 160.14 continuing to be the favored scenario.
USD/JPY H4 Chart

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