{"id":60252,"date":"2026-03-27T11:38:20","date_gmt":"2026-03-27T15:38:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/gold-surges-4-as-trump-extends-ceasefire-deadline-amid-iran-reactor-strike-and-fed-warnings\/60252\/"},"modified":"2026-03-27T11:38:20","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T15:38:20","slug":"gold-surges-4-as-trump-extends-ceasefire-deadline-amid-iran-reactor-strike-and-fed-warnings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/gold-surges-4-as-trump-extends-ceasefire-deadline-amid-iran-reactor-strike-and-fed-warnings\/60252\/","title":{"rendered":"Gold Surges 4% as Trump Extends Ceasefire Deadline Amid Iran Reactor Strike and Fed Warnings"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/metal\/gold\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"gold price today\">Gold prices<\/a> surged 4% to $4,514.50 per ounce<\/strong> following President Trump\u2019s decision to extend the deadline for ceasefire negotiations, while <strong>Spot <a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/metal\/silver\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"5\" title=\"silver price today\">Silver<\/a> jumped nearly 5% to $71.62<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Iran\u2019s Khondab heavy water research reactor was hit in an air attack<\/strong>; while no injuries were reported, the strike on critical infrastructure has heightened regional instability.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Federal Reserve officials Paulson and Barkin signaled a &quot;wait-and-see&quot; approach on interest rates<\/strong>, citing &quot;fragile&quot; inflation expectations and the unclear economic impact of <strong>Artificial Intelligence<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>US officials warned allies that the conflict in Iran could delay weapons shipments to Ukraine<\/strong>, as the Pentagon prioritizes resources for the escalating Middle East crisis.<\/li>\n<li><strong>QatarEnergy (<a href=\"\/stock\/QATAR\">QATAR<\/a>) announced it will cancel 10 LNG cargo deliveries<\/strong> between April and June, adding further pressure to global energy markets.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Safe-haven assets rallied sharply on Friday as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East reached a fever pitch. <strong>Gold (<a href=\"\/stock\/GLD\">GLD<\/a>) climbed 4% to reach $4,514.5 per ounce<\/strong>, a move triggered by President Trump\u2019s extension of the ceasefire talks deadline. Investors reacted to the prolonged uncertainty, while <strong>Spot Silver (<a href=\"\/stock\/SLV\">SLV<\/a>) followed suit, rising nearly 5% to trade at $71.62 per ounce<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>The market volatility comes as military action inside Iran intensifies. An official from Fars News confirmed that <strong>Iran\u2019s Khondab heavy water research reactor was targeted in an air attack<\/strong>, though local residents face no immediate threat. Meanwhile, state media outlet ISNA reported that <strong>damage at the Mobarakeh steel plant is currently under review<\/strong> following separate strikes, signaling a widening scope of industrial targets.<\/p>\n<p>Diplomatic efforts remain on a knife-edge as <strong>Iran is expected to reply to a US peace proposal later today<\/strong>. While White House officials are reportedly &quot;cautiously hopeful&quot; about the negotiations, Senator Marco Rubio stated that the <strong>US objective remains the total elimination of Iran\u2019s ballistic capabilities<\/strong>. French Foreign Minister Jean-No\u00ebl Barrot declined to endorse Rubio\u2019s rhetoric, highlighting potential rifts among Western allies regarding the war&#39;s ultimate goals.<\/p>\n<p>The conflict is already having a tangible impact on global logistics and defense. <strong>US officials have warned allies that the Iran war may delay scheduled weapons shipments to Ukraine<\/strong>, according to reports from <em>Politico<\/em>. Simultaneously, energy supply chains are tightening as <strong>QatarEnergy (<a href=\"\/stock\/QATAR\">QATAR<\/a>) confirmed it will not deliver 10 LNG cargoes<\/strong> during the second quarter, citing the ongoing regional crisis.<\/p>\n<p>At the Federal Reserve, officials are grappling with how these geopolitical shocks will affect the domestic economy. <strong>Fed Governor Paulson stated that the Iran war threatens both growth and inflation stability<\/strong>, noting that inflation expectations remain &quot;fragile.&quot; Paulson estimated the <strong>neutral rate (R-star) to be near 3.1%<\/strong>, suggesting that higher-than-expected inflation would make it significantly harder for the Fed to support growth.<\/p>\n<p>The role of technology in the economy also remains a point of contention for central bankers. <strong>Fed&#39;s Barkin noted that the rapid pace of AI changes has created &quot;unease&quot; among officials<\/strong>, making the economic outlook increasingly unclear. While companies like Nvidia (<a href=\"\/stock\/NVDA\">NVDA<\/a>) and Microsoft (<a href=\"\/stock\/MSFT\">MSFT<\/a>) continue to drive investment, <strong>Paulson argued it is not yet clear how much AI is contributing to actual productivity gains<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Barkin emphasized that the <strong>labor market appears &quot;fragile&quot; despite low unemployment<\/strong>, with companies reporting minimal wage pressure. Given the rising gas prices and the &quot;narrow&quot; demand fueled by wealthy households and AI investments, <strong>Barkin suggested it is wise to keep interest rates unchanged<\/strong> for the time being. The Fed continues to monitor data closely as the combination of war and technological shifts complicates the path forward.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways Gold prices surged 4% to $4,514.50 per ounce following President Trump\u2019s decision to extend the deadline for ceasefire 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