Asia stocks drop.
Asian stocks broadly declined on Thursday with Japan and Hong Kong leading losses, as geopolitical tensions escalated after a media report stated the U.S. was preparing for a potential military strike on Iran.
U.S. stock futures also dipped in Asia hours, reflecting investor caution ahead of developments in the Israel-Iran conflict.
Market participants also closely assessed the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision and Jerome Powell’s comments on tariff-induced inflation.
Hong Kong stocks drop over 1% amid escalating Israel-Iran conflict
Sentiment soured on Thursday after a Bloomberg report stated that senior U.S. officials were preparing for a potential strike against Iran, possibly over the weekend, signalling a direct escalation in the conflict.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he has “ideas” but would decide “one second before it’s due,” amplifying market jitters. He had said he may or may not strike Iran.
Gold prices fall.
Gold prices fell in Asian trade on Thursday as the Federal Reserve’s hawkish stance strengthened the dollar and pressured bullion, while rising geopolitical risks from potential U.S. involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict capped losses.
Meanwhile, platinum reached a 10-year high during Asian hours, driven by tightening supply and rising demand.
Israel-Iran conflict, Fed’s hawkish pause spooks investors
Senior U.S. officials are preparing for a potential strike on Iran in the coming days, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.
While plans remain fluid, some officials pointed to the weekend as a possible window for action, the report said.
This comes after Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, rejected President Trump’s demands for unconditional surrender, and said that neither peace nor war could be imposed on the Islamic Republic.
Bitcoin price struggles at $105k.
Bitcoin moved little on Thursday, remaining squarely in a tight trading range as increased speculation over U.S. involvement in the Israel-Iran war kept traders largely risk-averse.
Hawkish comments from the Federal Reserve also weighed on risk sentiment, after the central bank kept interest rates steady and remained non-committal to further easing. The Fed also trimmed its rate cut outlook for 2026.
Bitcoin fell 0.3% to $105,124.1 by 01:27 ET (05:27 GMT). The world’s largest crypto has stuck to a trading range of between $103,000 to $108,000 for the past week, especially after the onset of renewed military action between Israel and Iran.
A Bloomberg report said on Thursday that U.S. officials were preparing for a potential strike against Iran in the coming days, although it was unclear whether it would materialize. Still, the report sparked a stronger risk-off move across financial markets, with crypto also logging losses.
Comments from U.S. President Donald Trump also provided little clarity on whether the U.S. will become directly embroiled in the conflict. Tehran has repeatedly warned against U.S. involvement.
Trump lauds stablecoin bill progress, calls for ‘clean,’ immediate passage
Trump on Wednesday evening lauded the passage of the GENIUS Act– a bill that establishes a regulatory framework for stablecoins– through the Senate, and called for its immediate passage through the House.
Important Note: The information found on Ausprime platform is intended only to be informative, is not advice nor a recommendation, nor research, or a record of our trading prices, or an offer of, or solicitation for a transaction in any financial instrument and thus should not be treated as such. The information provided does not include any specific investment objectives, financial situation and needs of any specific person who may receive it. The past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance and/or results. Past Performance or Forward-looking scenarios are not a guarantee of future performance. Actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking or past performance statement
