All posts tagged: SPDR Gold Shares

Trump threatens Iran’s infrastructure as reports emerge of downed U.S. F-35

Trump threatens Iran’s infrastructure as reports emerge of downed U.S. F-35

Published by Sam Flores

Significant sections of the B1 Bridge are seen destroyed after an airstrike attributed to the United States and Israel targeted the site near Tehran, in Karaj, Iran, on April 03, 2026. Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to destroy Iran’s bridges and power plants, saying the “New Regime leadership knows what has to be done, and has to be done, FAST!” in a Truth Social post. Trump did not elaborate on what needed to be “done,” but said the U.S. “hasn’t even started destroying what’s left in Iran.” Hours later, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reportedly claimed that a U.S. F-35 fighter jet was shot down over central Iran. Images of debris posted on Telegram included a photo that appeared to show the words “U.S. Air Forces in Europe” on what looked like a plane’s tail section. The U.S. Central Command, which oversees the region, and Iranian authorities did not respond to a request for comment at the time of publication. Read more U.S.-Iran war news Trump’s latest threat …

Nouriel Roubini warns Trump likely to escalate Iran war

Nouriel Roubini warns Trump likely to escalate Iran war

Published by Sam Flores

U.S. President Donald Trump is likely to escalate the war with Iran, risking “1970s stagflation” if it does not go as planned, renowned economist and investor Nouriel Roubini told CNBC. Speaking to CNBC’s Carolin Roth at the Ambrosetti Forum in Cernobbio, Italy on Friday, Roubini — best known for predicting the 2008 Global Financial Crisis — rejected the view that Trump was “looking desperately for an off-ramp” to end the war. Markets have appeared optimistic in recent days about a potential resolution to the conflict. “People make the argument that … his polls are down, he wants this war to be over because there’ll be damage for the economy, growth, inflation and the mid-term elections,” he said, referring to congressional elections in November. “But if you think about it, the damage has already been done. If there is a ceasefire on conditions that are Iranian style, he’s going to look like a loser — his credibility’s weaker, he’s going to lose the election for sure.” “My argument is that, counterintuitively, he’s going to decide to …

U.S., Israel winning but Iran revolution needs ground component

U.S., Israel winning but Iran revolution needs ground component

Published by Sam Flores

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday said “Iran is being decimated” as the U.S. and Israel target its ballistic missile and nuclear programs from the air — but he added that meaningful regime change will require a “ground component.” “You don’t want to replace one ayatollah with another,” Netanyahu said at a press conference. “You don’t want to replace Hitler with Hitler.” He said that the Iranian people must ultimately “rise to the moment.” “We can create the conditions, but they have to, you know, they have to exploit those conditions at a certain point,” he said. A revolution cannot come “only from the air,” he went on. “You can do a lot of things from the air, and we’re doing [them,] but … there has to be a ground component as well.” Read more CNBC politics coverage His remarks left open the possibility that such on-the-ground action may take many forms. “There are many possibilities for this ground component, and I take the liberty of not sharing with you all those possibilities.” The …

Fed Chair Powell complicating Warsh’s plans for swift rate cuts

Fed Chair Powell complicating Warsh’s plans for swift rate cuts

Published by Sam Flores

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speaks during a press conference following the Federal Open Market Committee meeting at the Federal Reserve Board Building in Washington, March 18, 2026. Brendan Smialowski | AFP | Getty Images Federal Reserve chair nominee Kevin Warsh wants to lower interest rates. Fed officials signaled Wednesday that it may be even harder than expected for him to make that happen, should he be confirmed into that job any time soon. Fed officials raised their predictions for the path of inflation and interest rates in data the central bank released Wednesday. That was largely expected given the spike in oil prices due to the Iran war. But Chair Jerome Powell said oil wasn’t the only factor his colleagues were considering. Higher forecasts for inflation are also “a reflection of the slow progress we’ve seen on tariffs,” Powell said. The Fed publishes a survey of its top officials’ expectations for interest rates and the economy in a document known as the Summary of Economic Projections. The SEP released Wednesday showed the median official’s …

Israel says it has killed Iran’s intelligence minister

Israel says it has killed Iran’s intelligence minister

Published by Sam Flores

Iran’s then incumbent Minister of Intelligence Esmail Khatib (C) sits with Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian (C-R) before a speech to members of parliament in the capital Tehran, on August 17, 2024, as he defends his cabinet selection. Atta Kenare | Afp | Getty Images Israel’s Defense Forces said Wednesday that Iran’s intelligence minister, Esmail Khatib, had been killed in a “targeted strike” in Tehran, marking the third assassination of a high-ranking official in just two days. “Khatib played a significant role during the recent protests throughout Iran, including the arrest & killing of protestors and led terrorist activities against Israelis & Americans around the world,” the IDF said in a post on social media. “Similarly, he operated against Iranian citizens during the Mahsa Amini protests (2022–2023),” they added. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian confirmed Khatib’s death in a post on X. “The cowardly assassination of my dear colleagues Ismail Khatib, Ali Larijani, and Aziz Nasirzadeh, alongside some of their family members and accompanying team, has left us in deep mourning,” Pezeshkian wrote. It comes after Israel …

How Iran and Venezuela strikes transform the Trump-Xi trade talks

How Iran and Venezuela strikes transform the Trump-Xi trade talks

Published by Sam Flores

TOPSHOT – US President Donald Trump (L) and China’s President Xi Jinping arrive for talks at the Gimhae Air Base, located next to the Gimhae International Airport in Busan on October 30, 2025. Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping will seek a truce in their bruising trade war on October 30, with the US president predicting a “great meeting” but Beijing being more circumspect. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP) (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images) Andrew Caballero-reynolds | Afp | Getty Images China’s opposition to the U.S. and Israeli war on Iran is stoking tensions between Beijing and Washington just weeks before a high-stakes meeting between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. The Middle East offensive, which has killed China-friendly Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and a slew of other Iranian officials, shows the U.S. doubling down hard on its willingness to eschew diplomacy and launch high-risk military operations in pursuit of its global goals. The war began less than two months after the U.S. attacked Venezuela to capture the country’s president, Nicolas Maduro, …

Israel bolsters forces in southern Lebanon

Israel bolsters forces in southern Lebanon

Published by Sam Flores

UAE says it has the right to defend itself UAE’s Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem Al Hashimy arrives at the second day of the BRICS Foreign Ministers meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on April 29, 2025. (Photo by Pablo PORCIUNCULA / AFP) (Photo by PABLO PORCIUNCULA/AFP via Getty Images) Pablo Porciuncula | Afp | Getty Images The UAE reaffirmed its right to self defense on Tuesday, stressing that any threat to Emirati sovereignty represents a threat to the wider Gulf. Reem Al Hashimy, the country’s minister of cooperation, said in a news conference in the capital Abu Dhabi, that the Gulf Cooperation Council operates as “one system,” and that an attack on any member state endangers the entire region. All six members of the GCC, the Arab monarchies of Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates, have all come under fire from Iranian missiles and drones since Saturday. Hashimy added that the UAE will not accept actions that compromise its sovereignty or security, warning that such escalations carry …

Israel says it has struck Tehran again, following death of Khamenei

Israel says it has struck Tehran again, following death of Khamenei

Published by Sam Flores

Israel says it has carried out more strikes in Tehran Israel said Sunday it has carried out more strikes against Iran’s government in the capital. “The Air Force, guided by Military Intelligence, has now launched a broad wave of strikes toward targets of the Iranian terror regime in the heart of Tehran,” the Israel Defense Forces said in a post on X. “Over the past day, the Air Force conducted extensive strikes to achieve air superiority and open the path to Tehran,” the IDF said. — Azhar Sukri Investors reassess risk after Khamenei strike, with oil in spotlight Iran woke up Sunday to a once-in-a-generation shock: state media confirmed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a joint U.S.–Israel strike. For markets, the key question is what comes next. Standard Chartered’s Global Head of Research, Eric Robertsen, said in a note that investors had already been underpricing geopolitical risk. The U.S. dollar is only modestly weaker year-to-date, but the dispersion beneath the surface is telling: commodity-linked currencies are outperforming, suggesting markets are paying for …