Copper prices declined on Thursday as doubts escalated over whether the truce between the United States and Iran would hold, which reinforced concerns regarding global economic growth and the demand for industrial metals, according to traders. 

The benchmark copper price on the London Metal Exchange fell by 0.9% to reach $12,586 per metric ton by 09:18 GMT. 

The metal used in the energy and construction sectors had recorded a three-week high at $12,755.50 on Wednesday after the announcement of a two-week truce agreement in the Middle East, which sparked optimism that shipments through the Strait of Hormuz could resume soon. 

High oil and large inventories pressure prices

High oil prices are also expected to negatively impact economic growth by fueling inflation and weighing on spending. 

Furthermore, high copper inventories in warehouses registered with the London Metal Exchange and Comex — which exceeded 900,000 tons — are pressuring prices, representing double the level recorded since the beginning of the year. 

Morgan Stanley analysts said in a note that global copper inventories, including U.S. inventories, appear high on paper. 

But they added that metal located in the United States is unlikely to be re-exported, even if tariffs are not ultimately implemented, considering that these inventories have practically begun to behave like a strategic reserve. 

The rise in inventories has led to a significant discount in spot contracts compared to three-month contracts on the London Metal Exchange. 

Aluminum disruptions in the Middle East

Elsewhere, disruptions to aluminum shipments from the Middle East are behind the price premium for spot aluminum contracts on the London Metal Exchange compared to three-month contracts. 

During the past week, this premium rose to more than $70 per ton, which is the highest level since 2007. 

The Middle East produced about seven million metric tons of primary aluminum last year, equivalent to 9% of global supplies, which are expected to reach about 75 million tons this year. 

Movements of other industrial metals

The rest of the industrial metals saw mixed movements, as: 

- Aluminum for three-month contracts rose by 0.5% to $3,471 per ton 

- Zinc declined by 0.2% to $3,287 

- Lead fell by 0.5% to $1,932 

- Tin dropped by 1.8% to $46,790 

- Nickel declined by 0.4% to $17,235 per ton

Bitcoin price rose to a weekly high of $72,698 on Tuesday following reports of a two-week truce agreement between the United States and Iran. 

But the world's largest digital currency has retreated since then, and the recovery may become at risk with the emergence of new macroeconomic pressures. 

Bitcoin jumped by 6% in less than four hours on Tuesday, in line with the recovery in global stock markets after the two warring parties reached a two-week truce agreement. 

The increasing correlation between Bitcoin and S&P 500 futures showed that the digital currency's rise was largely driven by the prospect of reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which calmed fears of a broad shock in global supply chains. 

But the rise stopped at the $72,000 resistance level, leading to a major liquidation event in Bitcoin futures contracts, where more than $150 million of long positions were liquidated. 

Truce violations may ignite a wave of panic

U.S. President Donald Trump said that the Iranian nuclear program will be disabled in exchange for easing tariffs and sanctions. 

But the bears' stance toward Bitcoin was strengthened after U.S. Vice President JD Vance described the truce as a "fragile truce." 

After that, reports emerged stating the repeated violation of the terms of the agreement in the Levant region, after Israel launched a military operation it called Operation Eternal Darkness targeting underground infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah in Lebanon. 

Israel says that the truce with Iran does not include its operations against Hezbollah, emphasizing its strategic independence, while Pakistan, which mediated the temporary agreement, says that the deal was conditional on a broader cooling of tensions in the region. 

On April 8, the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament said that the U.S. administration violated the spirit of the agreement's roadmap. Iran also threatened to resume its strikes if the attacks on its allies were not stopped immediately. 

While a sustained de-escalation could lead to lower oil prices and reduced global inflationary pressures, any new escalation could be more financially damaging, especially since Bitcoin's technical structure remains fragile. 

Bitcoin faced difficulty in exceeding the $70,000 level during the past week, and if it loses this level again, it may retest the psychological support level at $64,000. 

Federal Reserve minutes increase ambiguity regarding interest rates

The Federal Reserve released on Wednesday the minutes of its recent Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting held on March 17 and 18, which ended with an 11-to-1 vote to keep interest rates between 3.5% and 3.75%. 

Although the official narrative indicates the possibility of cutting interest rates this year, the minutes revealed a consensus to move only if inflation does not spiral out of control due to rising energy costs. 

Normally, cutting interest rates is considered a positive factor for digital currencies, but any signs of uncertainty or the possibility of postponing the cut may negatively affect sensitive markets such as the cryptocurrency market. 

While some officials expressed optimism about the possibility of cutting rates soon, others warned that the opposite might be necessary to curb persistent price growth. 

This ambiguity may add another obstacle for Bitcoin during a period characterized by volatility. 

According to the CME Group tool known as FedWatch, markets are pricing a 75.6% probability of keeping interest rates within the current range between 3.5% and 3.75%. 

According to the latest update, the price of Bitcoin was trading slightly above $70,900 after falling by 1.2% during the past twenty-four hours.

Oil prices rose by more than 3% on Thursday with increasing doubts about the resilience of the fragile two-week truce in the Middle East, which sparked fears of continued restrictions on energy flows through the vital Strait of Hormuz, in light of the hesitation of shipping companies to resume transit. 

Brent crude futures rose by $3.41, or 3.6%, to reach $98.16 per barrel by 12:44 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) rose by $4.74, or 5%, to reach $99.15 per barrel. 

Both benchmarks had fallen below the level of $100 per barrel in the previous trading session, as WTI recorded its largest daily decline since April 2020, after market optimism that the truce would lead to the reopening of the strait. 

Military escalation threatens the agreement

However, Israel bombed additional targets in Lebanon on Thursday, which put the truce in further danger, after the largest attacks the war has seen on its neighbor resulted in the death of more than 250 people and threatened to derail the truce announced by U.S. President Donald Trump since its beginning. 

Analysts said that market participants were not ready to fully remove the geopolitical risk premium from prices, adding that there is no clarity yet regarding what the talks between the United States and Iran might mean for oil flows. 

Ole Hvalbye, an analyst at SEB Research, said: "Peace negotiations may take place everywhere between the fighting zones, but as long as the strait does not pump more crude oil or liquefied natural gas, energy prices will not fall." 

He added that "the decline we saw yesterday was largely exaggerated." 

The strait connects oil supplies from Gulf producing countries such as Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar to global markets, and about 20% of the world's oil and gas supplies normally pass through it. 

Risks will not disappear quickly

Ship tracking data showed that a petroleum product tanker and five dry cargo ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz during the last twenty-four hours, despite the two-week truce agreement between Iran and the United States. 

However, traffic through the vital corridor remains almost at a standstill, with limited movements since the outbreak of the American-Israeli war against Iran on February 28, as the number of passing ships daily does not exceed a few vessels, according to data from Kpler, Lloyd’s List Intelligence, and Signal Ocean. 

Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets at Wealth Club, said: "Even if shipments are resumed, the risks will not disappear overnight." 

She added that tankers may be forced to sail in waters planted with mines amidst an intensive military presence, which will keep insurance premiums and shipping costs high. 

Shipping companies had said on Wednesday that they need clarity on the terms of the truce before resuming passage through the Strait of Hormuz. 

Iranian media mentioned that Iran issued maps for ships showing safe routes for passage and avoiding mines. 

Continued threats to energy facilities

Oil facilities in the region remain under threat, as Iran bombed sites in neighboring countries after the announcement of the truce, including a pipeline in Saudi Arabia that was used to bypass the closed strait, according to a source in the oil sector. 

Kuwait, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates also reported the occurrence of Iranian missile attacks and drone attacks. 

Adjustment of oil price forecasts

In the meantime, Goldman Sachs lowered its forecasts for oil prices in the second quarter of 2026 after the truce, expecting the average price of Brent crude to reach $90 per barrel, and WTI to reach $87 per barrel. 

The bank had previously expected average prices to reach $99 for Brent and $91 for WTI.

A state of cautious calm prevailed in the currency markets on Thursday, as traders closely monitored the resilience of the ceasefire between the United States and Iran, just one day after its announcement triggered a broad decline in the dollar.

Persistent Tensions Keep Markets on Edge

The truce appeared fragile as Israel continued its parallel war against the Iranian-allied Hezbollah militia in Lebanon. Meanwhile, Tehran accused both Israel and the United States of violating the agreement, stating that moving forward with peace talks would be "unreasonable."

- The Strait of Hormuz remained closed to unauthorized vessels.

- Shipping companies reported they are awaiting further clarity before resuming transit, which pushed oil prices higher.

- President Donald Trump stated that all U.S. ships, aircraft, and military forces will remain in their positions within and around Iran until Tehran fully complies with the agreement.

This ambiguity kept currency markets in a state of tension and anticipation.

Major Currency Movements

- The Euro stabilized at $1.1661. It had risen by 0.6% on Wednesday before retreating later in the session after hitting a one-month high of $1.1721 earlier in trading.

- The British Pound saw a similar trend, stabilizing at $1.3393 after a 0.77% rise on Wednesday, retreating from its session high of $1.348.

- The Japanese Yen was slightly weaker, with the dollar rising 0.2% to 158.9 yen, after briefly dipping below the 158 yen level on Wednesday.

Derek Halpenny, Head of Research for Global Markets EMEA at MUFG Bank, noted that as long as the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, the "entire ceasefire agreement remains fragile." He added that while the dollar partially recovered, market movements remain limited. He further explained that the scheduled talks in Pakistan helped limit a total reversal of Wednesday's market moves.

Economic Data in the Background

While some global economic data was released, it remained secondary to war-related news. 

- A government survey showed that consumer confidence in Japan declined in March for the first time in three months.

- This fuels concerns regarding the impact of the Middle East war on the economy, potentially complicating the Bank of Japan's decision on interest rate hikes.

- Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda told Parliament that real interest rates remain clearly negative, keeping financial conditions in the country accommodative.

The United States is expected to release Personal Spending data and the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) index for February later on Thursday. However, since this data covers the pre-war period, it is unlikely to have a significant impact on the markets.

Relative Stability in Other Currencies

- The Swiss Franc remained stable at 0.7913 francs per dollar and 0.9228 per euro.

- The Australian Dollar declined by 0.3% to reach $0.7024.