Hegseth: U.S. making gains in Iran conflict as key target eliminated
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the United States is making gains in its conflict with Iran after a key I...
Gold prices were steady on Friday but remained on track for a weekly decline, as stronger-than-expected U.S. inflation data dampened expectations for interest rate cuts and shifted market attention to the meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Spot gold was unchanged at $3,336.66 per ounce at 1:40 p.m. EDT (17:40 GMT), down 1.8% for the week, while U.S. gold futures ended almost flat at $3,382.6. The U.S. dollar weakened, making gold and other dollar-priced commodities more affordable for buyers using other currencies. Data released on Thursday showed U.S. producer prices in July rose at the fastest pace in three years. Traders now price in an 89.1% chance of a 25-basis-point Federal Reserve rate cut in September, down from about 95% before the data.
Following the release, non-yielding gold slipped 0.6%. Lukman Otunuga, senior research analyst at FXTM, warned that while prices stabilised on Friday, they could face further pressure depending on the outcome of the Trump–Putin summit in Alaska. Geopolitical uncertainty and lower interest rates typically support demand for gold.
Analysts at ANZ forecast that macroeconomic and geopolitical risks will grow in the second half of the year, bolstering gold’s safe-haven appeal. “The bullish outlook for gold remains, backed by the potential for higher tariffs, a slowing global economy, looser U.S. monetary policy, and sustained dollar weakness,” they said.
In other precious metals, spot silver dipped 0.1% to $37.96 per ounce, down 1% for the week. Platinum slid 1.5% to $1,336.80, and palladium dropped 2.6% to $1,116.52.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. military has enough stockpiled weapons to fight wars "forever"; in a social media post late on Monday. The remarks came hours before conflict in Iran and the Middle East entered its fourth day.
U.S. first lady, Melania Trump chaired a UN Security Council meeting on children and education in conflict on Monday (2 March), a move criticised by Iran as hypocritical following U.S. and Israeli strikes that triggered a UN warning about risks to children.
A torpedo from a U.S. submarine has sunk an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka, U.S. Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth told reporters. The Sri Lankan navy carried out a rescue operation for dozens of sailors in the wake of the strike.
The U.S. embassy in Riyadh was hit by two drones resulting in a limited fire and some material damage, the kingdom's defence ministry said in a post on X on Tuesday, citing an initial assessment.
The U.S.-Iran crisis has entered its third day, with further strikes reported across the Middle East and the death toll rising. Oil prices have surged to levels last seen during the Covid-19 pandemic, raising fears of economic disruption and higher prices worldwide.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the United States is making gains in its conflict with Iran after a key Iranian naval target was destroyed, confirming that the strike was carried out by a U.S. submarine off the coast of Sri Lanka. Rescue efforts are now under way for the ship’s crew.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 4th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Strikes across the Middle East are intensifying, fuelling travel disruption, driving up global energy prices and forcing diplomatic missions to shut their doors.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said the United States has a “virtually unlimited supply” of munitions and is capable of sustaining military action indefinitely, as the conflict with Iran entered its fourth day.
The United Nations has called for an investigation into a deadly attack on a girls’ primary school in Iran, which Iranian officials say has killed more than 100 children. The U.S. has said its forces “would not” deliberately target a school.
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