Gold Hits $4,400 as Weaker Dollar and Iran Tensions Fuel Demand

Spot gold rose 0.6% to $4,400.15 per ounce on August 17, 2026, per Reuters. A softer dollar and dimmed Fed rate-hike expectations lowered the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding bullion, while the collapse of the U.S.-Iran ceasefire — no 60-day extension discussed, a shipping blockade reimposed in July — added a safe-haven premium.