The US has launched strategic airstrikes targeting three remaining Iranian nuclear facilities, marking a major escalation in the regional conflict. The most important target is the Fordow fuel enrichment plant - a facility reinforced with reinforcements, located about 300 feet deep in the mountain near Qom, about two hours' drive from Tehran.
To attack this complex target, the US used a 15-ton subduction bomb - the largest non-nuclear weapon that only the US force could deploy effectively.
The operation mobilized seven B-2 stealth bombers - the only one capable of carrying this giant bomb - and dropped a total of six bombs to ensure the complete destruction of the Fordow facility.
US President Donald Trump confirmed that the facility was "erased" during the coordinated attack. The remaining two nuclear facilities were disabled by Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from sunken Submarines, believed to be operating in the Persian Gulf region.
Iran immediately responded, with officials saying they would retaliate. Donald Trump has warned that there will be more attacks if Iran does not pursue peace with Israel or if any US military force or facility is attacked.
This warning is not enough to stop Iran, which launched multiple missiles at a US military base in Qatar on Monday.
Although no casualties were recorded after the retaliation, the significant increase in employment risked further escalating the conflict.
Despite serious geopolitical developments, the precious metals market reacted quite reservedly. Gold futures fell $1.2 as of 4:50 ET, surprising experts because gold prices would typically benefit from safe-haven demand when the US directly entered the region.
Meanwhile, silver prices showed better resilience, increasing slightly by 0.13 USD (0.36%), closing the session at 36.14 USD.
The gloomy developments of gold are even more difficult to explain when considering the context of a weakening USD. ICE US Dollar Index fell 0.4% in the session - often a factor supporting gold prices.
The decline in gold despite the decline in the USD shows that selling pressure is the main reason, meaning that gold prices may fall further if there is no supporting impact from exchange rates.
