Gold sticks to modest intraday gains, above the $5,000 psychological mark, through the first half of the European session, though it lacks bullish conviction amid mixed cues. The third round of US-mediated negotiations between Ukraine and Russia concluded in Geneva on Wednesday without any major breakthrough.
Geopolitical tensions remained a key pillar of bullion demand. Investors monitored heightened tensions between the United States and Iran, with concerns over maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz, and stalled nuclear diplomacy.
The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions against six officials associated with the Iranian intelligence agency for attacking critical infrastructure entities in the U.S.…