Gold prices staged a modest recovery from the $4,480 region during Monday’s trading session after touching their lowest level since March 30 in Asian markets. However, upside momentum remains limited as a stronger U.S. dollar and growing expectations of further Federal Reserve tightening continue to pressure the precious metal.
Persistent demand for the U.S. dollar has been fueled by ongoing geopolitical uncertainty in the Middle East. At the same time, rising crude oil prices have intensified inflation concerns, reinforcing speculation that the Federal Reserve could maintain a more hawkish monetary policy stance. This environment continues to support the greenback while limiting gains for non-yielding assets such as gold.
From a technical perspective, last week’s failure near the key 100-day Simple Moving Average (SMA) resistance suggests that bearish momentum is strengthening. A sustained move below the psychological $4,500 level could confirm a broader downward trend in gold prices.
Technical indicators also point to weak buying interest. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) remains near 40, while the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) indicator continues to show negative readings, validating the short-term bearish outlook for gold.
Market attention is now focused on the broader support zone near the 200-day SMA at $4,352.59. A decisive break below this area could expose gold to deeper corrective losses in the coming sessions. On the upside, the 100-day SMA at $4,790.55 remains the first major resistance level that buyers need to reclaim to ease current downside pressure.
Middle East Tensions Boost Safe-Haven Demand for USD
Geopolitical risks intensified after a drone strike reportedly caused a fire at the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the United Arab Emirates. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia announced it had intercepted three drones launched from Iraq and warned that it would take necessary operational measures to defend its sovereignty and security.
Adding to market concerns, U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran to move quickly toward a peace agreement or face severe consequences. In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated that “time is running out” and emphasized that immediate action was necessary.
These developments have increased fears of a broader escalation in the Middle East while weakening hopes for a breakthrough in U.S.-Iran peace negotiations. As a result, investors continue to favor the U.S. dollar as a safe-haven asset.
Additionally, U.S. restrictions on Iranian ports and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz have pushed crude oil prices to their highest levels in two weeks. The surge in oil prices has strengthened expectations that inflationary pressures could force the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates elevated into 2026.
According to CME Group’s FedWatch Tool, traders are now pricing in more than a 50% probability that the Fed could raise borrowing costs again before year-end. This outlook continues to support higher U.S. Treasury yields, benefiting USD bulls and limiting gold’s recovery potential.
Gold Outlook Remains Bearish Ahead of FOMC Minutes
The broader fundamental backdrop suggests that the path of least resistance for XAU/USD remains to the downside. Any additional rebound in gold prices may attract fresh selling pressure, especially in the absence of major U.S. economic data releases on Monday.
Market participants are now turning their attention to Wednesday’s FOMC meeting minutes, which could provide fresh clues regarding the Federal Reserve’s future policy direction. Traders will also closely monitor the release of preliminary global PMI data later this week.
Meanwhile, ongoing geopolitical headlines are expected to keep financial markets volatile, potentially driving further demand for the U.S. dollar and influencing gold price movements.
In physical gold markets, discounts in India surged to record highs last week, while strong investment demand in China kept premiums elevated above global benchmark prices. However, these supportive demand factors may have limited impact as escalating Iran tensions, rising inflation concerns, and hawkish Fed expectations continue to strengthen the U.S. dollar and weigh on gold prices.








