Canadian Dollar weakens as firmer USD counter recovering Oil prices

The USD/CAD pair attracts some buyers for the second consecutive day and reclaims the 1.3800 mark during the Asian session on Monday. Spot prices, however, lack bullish conviction and remain below the highest level since April 13, near the 1.3870 region, touched last week amid a combination of diverging forces.

The uncertainty over US-Iran talks to end a three-month-old conflict and Israel's incursion into Lebanon keeps geopolitical risk in play, underpinning the safe-haven US Dollar (USD) and acting as a tailwind for the USD/CAD pair. In fact, differences over Iran's nuclear program and the Strait of Hormuz continue to complicate efforts to reach a deal. Moreover, Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, stated that the country will not accept any agreement until its national rights are fully secured.

Adding to this, reports suggest that the US has hardened its negotiating position with Iran. This, along with bets that the US Federal Reserve (Fed) will hike interest rates by the end of this year, assists the USD to build on Friday's modest bounce from a two-week low. The Canadian Dollar (CAD), on the other hand, is undermined by dismal domestic GDP figures, which showed that the economy contracted at 0.1% annualized pace in the first quarter of 2026, and further supports the USD/CAD pair.

Meanwhile, the latest development surrounding the Middle East crisis triggers a goodish recovery in Crude Oil prices, from over a one-month low touched on Friday. This, in turn, helps limit the downside for the commodity-linked Loonie and might keep a lid on any further appreciating move for the USD/CAD pair. Hence, it will be prudent to wait for strong follow-through buying before positioning for the resumption of the recent well-established uptrend witnessed over the past month or so.