National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement late Tuesday that new sanctions targeting Iran and sanctions against entities supporting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Iran's Defense Ministry will be imposed in the coming days. It is expected that US allies and partners will soon follow with their sanctions, according to the statement.
Sullivan further stated that these new sanctions and other measures will "continue a steady drumbeat of pressure" to contain and degrade Iran's military capacity and effectiveness and confront the full range of its problematic behaviors.
Market reaction
Gold price attracts some buyers following the renewed tension between Israel and Iran. XAU/USD was trading 0.08% higher on the day at $2,384, as of writing.
Gold FAQs
Gold has played a key role in human’s history as it has been widely used as a store of value and medium of exchange. Currently, apart from its shine and usage for jewelry, the precious metal is widely seen as a safe-haven asset, meaning that it is considered a good investment during turbulent times. Gold is also widely seen as a hedge against inflation and against depreciating currencies as it doesn’t rely on any specific issuer or government.
Central banks are the biggest Gold holders. In their aim to support their currencies in turbulent times, central banks tend to diversify their reserves and buy Gold to improve the perceived strength of the economy and the currency. High Gold reserves can be a source of trust for a country’s solvency. Central banks added 1,136 tonnes of Gold worth around $70 billion to their reserves in 2022, according to data from the World Gold Council. This is the highest yearly purchase since records began. Central banks from emerging economies such as China, India and Turkey are quickly increasing their Gold reserves.
Gold has an inverse correlation with the US Dollar and US Treasuries, which are both major reserve and safe-haven assets. When the Dollar depreciates, Gold tends to rise, enabling investors and central banks to diversify their assets in turbulent times. Gold is also inversely correlated with risk assets. A rally in the stock market tends to weaken Gold price, while sell-offs in riskier markets tend to favor the precious metal.
The price can move due to a wide range of factors. Geopolitical instability or fears of a deep recession can quickly make Gold price escalate due to its safe-haven status. As a yield-less asset, Gold tends to rise with lower interest rates, while higher cost of money usually weighs down on the yellow metal. Still, most moves depend on how the US Dollar (USD) behaves as the asset is priced in dollars (XAU/USD). A strong Dollar tends to keep the price of Gold controlled, whereas a weaker Dollar is likely to push Gold prices up.
Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers. The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page.
If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. The author has not received compensation for writing this article, other than from FXStreet.
FXStreet and the author do not provide personalized recommendations. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. FXStreet and the author will not be liable for any errors, omissions or any losses, injuries or damages arising from this information and its display or use. Errors and omissions excepted.
The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice.
Recommended content
Editors’ Picks
AUD/USD remains vulnerable near multi-month low after Aussie data
AUD/USD reacts little to better-than-expected Australian Goods Trade Balance data and hangs near a multi-month low touched on Wednesday amid rising bets for an early RBA rate cut. Furthermore, China's economic woes, US-China trade war fears and geopolitical risk undermine the risk-sensitive Aussie.
USD/JPY retreats further from the weekly top, slides below mid-150.00s
USD/JPY struggles to build on the previous day's strong move up to the weekly top and trades with a mild negative bias during the Asian session on Thursday. Bets for a December BoJ rate hike and the overnight sharp fall in the US bond yields lend some support to the lower-yielding JPY.
Gold price lacks firm near-term direction and is stuck in a familiar range
Gold price extends its sideways consolidative price move in a familiar range, awaiting a fresh catalyst before the next leg of a directional move. Geopolitical tensions, trade war fears and the overnight decline in the US bond yields offer support to the safe-haven XAU/USD.
Ripple's XRP could see a price rebound despite retail activity decline, RLUSD launch delay
XRP traded near $2.4 on Wednesday as Ripple Labs clarified that its RLUSD stablecoin will not debut on exchanges despite a rumored launch among crypto community members. Amid a sharp decline in XRP's price, on-chain data shows the remittance-based token still has the potential to resume its rally.
Four out of G10
In most cases, the G10 central bank stories for December are starting to converge on a single outcome. Here is the state of play: Fed: My interpretation of Waller’s speech this week is that his prior probability for a December cut was around 75% before the data.
Best Forex Brokers with Low Spreads
VERIFIED Low spreads are crucial for reducing trading costs. Explore top Forex brokers offering competitive spreads and high leverage. Compare options for EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY, and Gold.