The Yomiuri Shimbun

Bank of Japan Deputy Gov. Ryozo Himino declined to comment on the impact of the Middle East situation on the bank's monetary policy at a press conference held in Wakayama City on Monday.

"There are many factors that are difficult to assess, so I will refrain from answering (the question)," he said.

Crude oil prices could rise following the attack on Iran. However, Himino said, "At this point, it is difficult to assess how the situation will unfold."

At its January monetary policy meeting, the BOJ decided to keep its policy interest rate unchanged at around 0.75%. Given the ongoing rise in prices, market views suggest an additional rate hike may be implemented as early as the meeting in March.

Regarding the BOJ's 2% inflation target for monetary policy, Himino stated: "We cannot assert that the price stability target has been achieved. We will gradually adjust the monetary easing policy, raising rates while moving closer to the target."

"We can only say we will continue to monitor the financial environment," Himino added. "We want to accurately assess and determine how much interest rate hikes will impact the economy."

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This article is from The Yomiuri Shimbun. Neither Dow Jones Newswires, MarketWatch, Barron's nor The Wall Street Journal were involved in the creation of this content.

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March 02, 2026 03:17 ET (08:17 GMT)

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