Global gold ends the week down more than 3 percent as the Hormuz-driven oil surge weighs on the metal

Global gold fell more than 3 percent in the week ending Friday, 17 July 2026, one of its largest weekly declines in about six months, with the metal trading near 4,000 dollars an ounce on Friday and at its lowest level since November 2025.

Contrary to gold's usual safe-haven behavior, the escalating Iran-US military tensions and the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz worked against the metal this time by way of higher oil prices. Brent crude rose nearly 12 percent over the past week, lifting inflation expectations and the odds that the US Federal Reserve keeps rates higher for longer and firming bond yields, all of which pressure gold.

The dynamic matters for Iran's domestic market, where local gold and coin prices track both the global ounce and the exchange rate.