Middle East tensions boost gold as investors seek safe havens

Escalating US-Iran tensions are boosting safe-haven demand, with gold attracting investors while equities and Bitcoin face pressure.

Rising tensions in the Middle East are pushing investors toward safe-haven assets, with gold demand climbing as investors flee equities and crypto markets.

On Wednesday, reports revealed that Iran has sharply increased crude oil exports, with shipments from Kharg Island reaching roughly 20.1 million barrels between Feb. 15 and Feb. 20, about three times January’s level, as a preemptive supply release and a hedge against possible disruption if tensions with the United States escalate.

At the same time, increasingly hawkish US rhetoric regarding Iran’s nuclear program has raised expectations of confrontation, according to Bitunix analysts. “In the event of a direct US–Iran military conflict, gold could rise by roughly 15% within two weeks on safe-haven demand, targeting a range of $5,500-$5,800 per ounce,” the analysts wrote in a note shared with Cointelegraph.

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