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TOKYO, Apr 27 (Reuters) The dollar dipped against the euro on Thursday, matching a seven-month low hit the previous day as a renewed focus on the huge U.S. current account deficit diverted attention from otherwise solid U.S. economic data.

Calls from Group of Seven powers last weekend for China and other Asian countries to let their currencies rise to help fix global imbalances have prompted traders to look at the U.S. deficit and a weakening of the dollar as a way of reducing it.

''Since the G7 meeting, market players' focus has shifted to structural problems from U.S. inflation,'' said Takehiko Jimbo, forex trading manager at Mitsubishi UFJ Trust Bank.

''Market players are sensing that the U.S. may be scaling back their commitment to a strong dollar. I think the dollar is basically falling in the near future.'' Given such concerns, the dollar benefited little from buoyant U.S. data and a rise in U.S. interest rates on Wednesday.

Both new orders for U.S.-made durable goods and sales of new homes surged more than expected in March, helping the U.S. interest rate futures market to almost fully price in the likelihood of two more hikes in overnight rates this year.

The dollar's yield advantage over the euro and the yen and expectations for the Federal Reserve to keep raising rates were a major driving force behind the dollar's rally last year.

Given the damage to dollar sentiment this week, some traders are now not sure whether even hawkish comments from Fed chief Ben Bernanke, due to testify before Congress on the economic outlook from 1400 GMT, could boost the dollar.

At 0130 GMT, the euro was at $1.2460 after earlier rising to $1.2471 to match a seven-month high hit the previous day.

The dollar was little changed at 114.75 yen, not far from a three-month low of 114.24 yen hit earlier in the week.

Some traders said the dollar was also hurt by growing worries about a confrontation between the West and Iran over Tehran's nuclear programme.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday that Iran would strike at U.S. interests worldwide if it was attacked by the United States.

His threat came two days before the U.N. nuclear watchdog reports on whether Iran is meeting Security Council demands to halt uranium enrichment.

''The dollar is likely to stay under pressure ahead of the U.N.

meeting,'' said Jimbo at Mitsubishi UFJ Trust.

REUTERS SRS RAI0749