Gold Extends Rout

The Iran war shows little sign of easing, with President Donald Trump threatening strikes on Iranian power plants if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened, while Tehran warned it would target key US and Israeli assets across the region if its energy facilities were hit. Last week, gold dropped over 10% as surging oil prices fueled inflation concerns, prompting markets to price in a prolonged pause or potential rate hikes from major central banks. Traders are increasingly betting on a possible Federal Reserve rate increase toward year-end amid fears of persistent inflation. The ECB, BOE and BOJ also kept rates unchanged last week but signaled readiness to tighten policy further if inflationary pressures persist.