The Australian dollar rose above $0.705, but stayed at a two-month low as investors assessed easing Middle East tensions while persistent cost-of-living pressures weighed on domestic sentiment. Household confidence deteriorated further into deep pessimism, with the Westpac–Melbourne Institute Consumer Sentiment Index falling about 3% to 80.6 in June, marking the fourth decline this year and among the weakest in decades. Households reported ongoing strain from elevated living costs, while a temporary fuel tax cut offered only limited and short-lived relief. Against this backdrop, investors are turning their attention to the upcoming policy decision from the Reserve Bank of Australia next week, where rates are widely expected to be held steady. Meanwhile, global risk sentiment got a minor lift after Iran and Israel announced a halt in fighting. However, the safe-haven US dollar remained stronger amid uncertainty over a US-Iran peace deal and hawkish Fed bets after a robust US jobs data.