Gold Extends Gains as Reports of Iran War Talks Offer Respite

Nine straight days down and gold still holds above $2530. That's your floor right there. Now we're seeing what happens when the diplomatic noise shifts - bullion moves fast on headline risk. The Middle East premium never really disappeared, just got buried under Fed policy noise and year-end profit taking. Physical demand from central banks hasn't wavered through this pullback. Turkey added another 30 tons last month while Western ETFs kept bleeding. This diplomatic talk could fizzle by next week, but the underlying fundamentals haven't changed. Dollar strength is temporary. Real rates are still negative when you factor in actual inflation. Stack the dips.