{"id":59936,"date":"2026-03-18T23:38:28","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T03:38:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/bank-of-japan-holds-rates-at-0-75-amid-middle-east-conflict-thailand-votes-for-new-prime-minister\/59936\/"},"modified":"2026-03-18T23:38:28","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T03:38:28","slug":"bank-of-japan-holds-rates-at-0-75-amid-middle-east-conflict-thailand-votes-for-new-prime-minister","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/bank-of-japan-holds-rates-at-0-75-amid-middle-east-conflict-thailand-votes-for-new-prime-minister\/59936\/","title":{"rendered":"Bank of Japan Holds Rates at 0.75% Amid Middle East Conflict; Thailand Votes for New Prime Minister"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>The Bank of Japan (BoJ) maintained its short-term policy rate at 0.75%<\/strong>, citing significant economic risks from the ongoing Middle East conflict and volatile oil prices.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Anutin Charnvirakul of the Bhumjaithai Party is the frontrunner<\/strong> in Thailand\u2019s parliamentary vote for Prime Minister, facing a challenge from Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut of the People\u2019s Party.<\/li>\n<li><strong>WTI crude oil stabilized near $98.00<\/strong> after the U.S. Treasury issued a general license allowing trade with Venezuela\u2019s state oil firm, <strong>PDVSA<\/strong>, to mitigate global supply disruptions.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Security concerns escalated in Washington D.C.<\/strong> following reports of unidentified drones over Fort McNair, the residence of Secretary of State <strong>Marco Rubio<\/strong> and Defense Secretary <strong>Pete Hegseth<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The U.S. Victoria Base Complex in Baghdad<\/strong> faced renewed rocket and drone attacks, highlighting the broadening regional impact of the U.S.-Iran war.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>BoJ Policy Hold and Inflation Outlook<\/h2>\n<p>The <strong>Bank of Japan (BoJ)<\/strong> kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged at <strong>0.75%<\/strong> on Thursday, following an 8-1 vote by its policy board. The decision reflects a cautious &quot;wait-and-see&quot; approach as the central bank balances a moderate domestic recovery against the &quot;stagflation&quot; risks posed by the <strong>U.S.-Iran war<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Board member <strong>Hajime Takata<\/strong> was the lone dissenter, unsuccessfully proposing a rate hike to <strong>1.0%<\/strong>. While the BoJ noted that core inflation may temporarily dip below <strong>2%<\/strong>, it expects upward pressure to return as higher energy costs filter through the economy. Following the announcement, <strong>USD\/JPY<\/strong> declined <strong>0.15%<\/strong> to <strong>159.64<\/strong>, as markets reacted to the bank&#39;s commitment to adjust policy if price stability goals remain on track.<\/p>\n<h2>Energy Markets and Venezuela Sanctions Relief<\/h2>\n<p><strong>WTI Crude Oil<\/strong> prices hovered near <strong>$98.00<\/strong> per barrel as the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/thestockmarketwatch.com\/live\/trump-stock-market\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Trump\">Trump<\/a> administration<\/strong> moved to ease sanctions on <strong>Venezuela<\/strong> to counteract skyrocketing energy prices. The U.S. Treasury\u2019s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued a license broadly authorizing established U.S. entities to engage in transactions with <strong>PDVSA<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>This policy shift allows major energy players like Chevron (<a href=\"\/stock\/CVX\">CVX<\/a>), Shell (<a href=\"\/stock\/SHEL\">SHEL<\/a>), and BP (<a href=\"\/stock\/BP\">BP<\/a>) more flexibility in the region. To further stabilize the domestic market, the White House also announced a <strong>60-day waiver of the Jones Act<\/strong>, allowing foreign-flagged vessels to transport fuel between U.S. ports. Despite these measures, <em>Brent crude remained elevated near $108.00<\/em> due to the continued closure of the <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2>Thailand\u2019s Prime Ministerial Vote<\/h2>\n<p>Thailand\u2019s Parliament assembled on Thursday to elect a new Prime Minister, a move seen as a potential turning point for national stability. The incumbent, <strong>Anutin Charnvirakul<\/strong> of the <strong>Bhumjaithai Party<\/strong>, is widely expected to secure the position, backed by a coalition that controls <strong>290 of the 500 seats<\/strong> in the House of Representatives.<\/p>\n<p>He is challenged by <strong>Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut<\/strong>, leader of the reformist <strong>People\u2019s Party<\/strong>, which holds <strong>120 seats<\/strong>. While Natthaphong\u2019s party won the largest share of the party-list vote in the recent election, <em>conservative and pro-military alliances<\/em> are expected to consolidate behind Anutin to maintain the current political order.<\/p>\n<h2>Rising Geopolitical and Security Tensions<\/h2>\n<p>Global security reached a state of high alert as the <strong>Washington Post<\/strong> reported unidentified drones over <strong>Fort McNair<\/strong> in Washington D.C. The base houses high-ranking officials, including Secretary of State <strong>Marco Rubio<\/strong> and Pentagon chief <strong>Pete Hegseth<\/strong>. The sightings have prompted a global security alert for U.S. diplomatic posts and a lockdown at several domestic military bases.<\/p>\n<p>Simultaneously, the <strong>Victoria Base Complex<\/strong> near <strong>Baghdad International Airport<\/strong> was targeted by five rockets and multiple suicide drones. These attacks are part of a broader wave of retaliation by the <strong>Islamic Resistance in Iraq<\/strong>, which claimed dozens of operations against U.S. assets in the region over the last 24 hours. <em>Market volatility remains high<\/em> as investors weigh the risk of further escalation in the Middle East.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways The Bank of Japan (BoJ) maintained its short-term policy rate at 0.75%, citing significant economic risks from the 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