Gold extends gains as renewed U.S.-Iran tensions fuel safe-haven bid

Gold rose further on Wednesday after logging its biggest daily gain in 17 years in the previous session, as investors flocked to the safe-haven asset amid fresh U.S.-Iran tensions.

Spot gold was up 2.2 per cent at US$5,046.47 per ounce, as of 1218 GMT, building on a 5.9 per cent rise on Tuesday.

U.S. gold futures for April delivery climbed 2.7 per cent to $5,068.90 per ounce.

“It is a confluence of risk factors that’s really driving the demand. One, there is that central bank independence question, and two, there’s all the geopolitical risk aspects,” said WisdomTree commodities strategist Nitesh Shah.

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The U.S. military said on Tuesday it shot down an Iranian drone that “aggressively” approached the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea. The incident came as diplomats sought to arrange nuclear talks between Iran and the United States.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that the investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell should be taken to the end, raising fresh concerns about the central bank’s independence.

Gold is rebounding after tumbling nearly 10 per cent on Monday, extending losses from Friday, in the sharpest two‑day sell‑off in decades. The rout was triggered by Trump’s announcement of Kevin Warsh as his pick to lead the Fed and compounded by CME margin hikes. The metal is currently up over 17 per cent for the year.

Market attention will be on the ADP private payrolls report, due later in the day, for clues into the Fed’s policy path. Investors currently expect at least two rate cuts in 2026.

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“With the Fed still expected to cut further rates this year, this should allow gold to reach $6,200/oz later this year,” said UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo.

Non-yielding bullion tends to perform better in low-interest-rate environments.

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Meanwhile, spot silver rose 5.7 per cent to $90 an ounce on Wednesday. The white metal hit a month-low of $71.33 on Monday following a record high of $121.64 on Thursday last week.

Spot platinum added four per cent to $2,297.58 per ounce, while palladium gained 5.3 per cent to $1,825.

(Reporting by Noel John in Bengaluru; Edited by Diti Pujara)