Gold Hits Nearly Two-month High as Middle East Tensions Spur Safe-haven Demand

FILE PHOTO: An employee places ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom at the Novosibirsk precious metals refining and manufacturing plant in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, Russia, September 15, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: An employee places ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom at the Novosibirsk precious metals refining and manufacturing plant in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, Russia, September 15, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk/File Photo
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Gold Hits Nearly Two-month High as Middle East Tensions Spur Safe-haven Demand

FILE PHOTO: An employee places ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom at the Novosibirsk precious metals refining and manufacturing plant in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, Russia, September 15, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: An employee places ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom at the Novosibirsk precious metals refining and manufacturing plant in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, Russia, September 15, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk/File Photo

Gold prices climbed on Friday to their highest levels in nearly two months, and were on track for a weekly gain, after Israeli military strikes on Iran drove investors toward safe-haven assets.

Spot gold was up 1.2% at $3,423.30 an ounce, as of 0544 GMT, after hitting its highest since April 22 earlier in the session. Bullion has gained more than 3.4% so far this week.

US gold futures gained 1.2% to $3,444.50.

Geopolitical tensions escalated after Israel targeted Iran's nuclear facilities, as tensions mounted over US efforts to halt Iran's production of atomic bomb materials.

"This latest spike in hostilities in the Middle East has taken the focus off trade negotiations for now, with investors making a play towards safe-haven assets in response," said Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at KCM Trade.

Israel declared a state of emergency, citing expected missile and drone strikes from Tehran, and the US military is preparing for various contingencies in the Middle East, including potential assistance with evacuating American civilians, a US official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

"Gold surged past resistance around $3,400 on news of the airstrikes, and further upside could be in-store should the escalation continue," Waterer said.

Signaling a cooling US labor market and subdued inflation pressures, new applications for unemployment benefits held at an eight-month high last week, while slowing domestic demand helped restrain producer prices in May.

The data, released a day after the Labor Department reported a moderate rise in consumer prices in May, bolstered expectations of an earlier rate cut.

Traders are now expecting a Federal Reserve interest rate cut of 55 basis points by the year-end, starting in September rather than October as previously anticipated.

Elsewhere, spot silver fell 0.3% at $36.25 per ounce, platinum lost 1% at $1,282.55 and palladium shed 0.5% to $1,050.61. All three metals were set for weekly gains.



US Close to Several Trade Deals, Announcements to be Made in Next Days, Bessent Says

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks to reporters at the US Capitol as Republican lawmakers struggle to pass US President Donald Trump’s sweeping spending and tax bill, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., US, June 27, 2025. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks to reporters at the US Capitol as Republican lawmakers struggle to pass US President Donald Trump’s sweeping spending and tax bill, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., US, June 27, 2025. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo
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US Close to Several Trade Deals, Announcements to be Made in Next Days, Bessent Says

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks to reporters at the US Capitol as Republican lawmakers struggle to pass US President Donald Trump’s sweeping spending and tax bill, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., US, June 27, 2025. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks to reporters at the US Capitol as Republican lawmakers struggle to pass US President Donald Trump’s sweeping spending and tax bill, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., US, June 27, 2025. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo

The United States is close to clinching several trade deals ahead of a July 9 deadline when higher tariffs kick in, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Sunday, predicting several big announcements in coming days.

Bessent told CNN's "State of the Union" the Trump administration would also send out letters to 100 smaller countries with whom the US doesn't have much trade, notifying them that they would face higher tariff rates first set on April 2 and then suspended until July 9.

"President Trump's going to be sending letters to some of our trading partners saying that if you don't move things along, then on August 1 you will boomerang back to your April 2 tariff level. So I think we're going to see a lot of deals very quickly," Bessent said.

Bessent denied that August 1 was a new deadline for negotiations. "We are saying this is when it's happening. If you want to speed things up, have at it. If you want to go back to the old rate, that's your choice," he told CNN, Reuters reported.

The US Treasury chief said the Trump administration was focused on 18 important trading partners that account for 95% of the US trade deficit. But he said there had been "a lot of foot-dragging" among countries in getting closure on a trade deal.

He declined to name countries that were close to a trade agreement, adding, "because I don't want to let them off the hook."

Trump has repeatedly said India is close to signing a deal and expressed hope that an agreement could be reached with the European Union, while casting doubt on a deal with Japan.

Since taking office, the US president has set off a global trade war that has upended financial markets and sent policymakers scrambling to guard their economies, including through deals with the US and other countries.

Trump on April 2 announced a 10% base tariff rate and additional amounts for most countries, some ranging as high as 50%. The news roiled financial markets, prompting Trump to suspend all but the 10% base rate for 90 days to allow more time for negotiations to secure deals, but the process has proven more challenging than expected.

That period ends on July 9, although Trump early on Friday said the tariffs could be even higher - ranging up to 70% - with most set to go into effect August 1.

Bessent, asked about the 70% rate, referred back to the April 2 list, but that did not include such high rates.