Against the U.S. dollar, the won exchange rate (won-dollar rate) closed at 1,477.2 won on the 20th. It fell 6.3 won from the previous trading day.
Ahead of the deadline for the two-week cease-fire agreed by the United States and Iran, the won-dollar rate ended lower. Under the countries' agreement, the cease-fire ends on the 21st (local time).
Although the day the cease-fire ends is not far off, tensions between the United States and Iran are intensifying. Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on the 19th (local time) that Iranian forces attacked a U.S. warship. According to Tasnim, Iran's Central Command claimed it struck the U.S. warship in response to the United States seizing an Iranian vessel.
Earlier that day, U.S. Central Command announced it fired multiple rounds from a 5-inch (127 mm) MK45 naval gun at the Tuska, which was heading to Bandar Abbas in southern Iran. It said it opened fire because warnings that the ship was violating the U.S. blockade were ignored. U.S. President Donald Trump also said on his social media Truth Social, "The U.S. Marines are seizing that vessel now. We're seeing what's inside it."
Park Sang-hyun, a researcher at iM Securities, said, "Given the deep-rooted distrust between the United States and Iran, it is unclear whether a second round of talks will be held," adding, "Even if talks take place, it may not be easy to reach an end to the war with only two or three rounds of negotiations."