At this time is there a circumstance where the US should use nuclear weapons against Iran?
Total Voters: 39
Loading ...It’s a propaganda war. This headline came out ( not sure which news agency released it first. This is from ZH):
Iran spins it that the infidels are backing off and we’re winning ( I paraphrase).
Just askin’ because the SM futures are roaring. I haven’t seen any headlines so I’m wondering if Trump ordered Bessent to spring the PPT into action.
Oil, rates and the dollar have all reversed lower. Big reversal in oil, it was above the $100 level last night and now all the way down to $92, rates were up near 4 bips, now flat and the dollar has reversed and is mildly higher.
Even pm’s have come off their lows, silver got all the way down to $60, now $67. Gold $250 off the lows. Course neither of them have actually gone positive like the SM, and probably won’t because that would encourage some buying of a reversal, but still a reason to wipe the sweat off the brow.
PM shares are limping toward flat. Is it safe to finally buy the plunge as maddog suggests? GDX is slightly positive this am.
Be nice if the metals actually finished higher and fully reversed like everything else, but I digress….
Course the big risk is that Trump follows thru with his 48 hr. warning to open Hormuz, and starts bombing Iranian power plants and oil fields. If he does follow thru, things will get chaotic in a hurry.
Silver just went positive.
Even though gold and silver dropped a bit the prices haven’t changed and the ms69 half ounce gold coins and the silvers I picked out yesterday are already gone this morning. Only ms70 left.
Or is the mkt front running Iran selling…if they can’t get the Gold out, which they can’t ….we could see a short covering rally for the records…!!!
Iran’s official central bank gold reserves are estimated at around 320–321 tonnes (metric tons) based on the most recent reliable reports from 2024–early 2026. This figure comes from sources citing World Gold Council (WGC) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) data, though official updates can lag, and Iran does not always report transparently due to sanctions and geopolitical factors.
A February 2026 report from Nour News (an Iranian outlet) stated approximately 320.7 tonnes, ranking Iran roughly 20th–25th globally.
Other analyses (e.g., from 2025–2026 compilations) align with this range, noting heavy gold imports (over 100 tonnes in 2024 alone, plus more in 2025) used to bolster reserves as a hedge against sanctions, currency devaluation, and economic pressure.
Official IMF/WGC quarterly data (last major update around Q4 2025 / early 2026) does not show dramatic changes for Iran in public top-holder lists, suggesting stability around the low-to-mid 300-tonne mark. Iran has not been a major reported buyer in recent central bank net purchase tallies (dominated by Poland, Uzbekistan, etc.), but domestic imports and production support gradual accumulation.
Important notes on the amount:
This is official reserves held by the Central Bank of Iran (CBI). Unofficial or “undeclared” claims (e.g., viral social media posts alleging 760–800+ tonnes or $127 billion worth stored secretly) appear exaggerated or conspiratorial, often tied to unverified stories about “hidden vaults” from 2009–2016 transfers. These lack credible backing from WGC, IMF, or major financial outlets.
Iran has significant domestic gold resources/mining potential: Recent discoveries include massive ore deposits (e.g., 53–61 million tonnes of gold-bearing ore at sites like Shadan mine in South Khorasan, or estimates of 300–600+ tonnes recoverable nationwide), but these are in-ground resources, not refined reserves already held by the central bank.
At current gold prices (around $5,000–5,400/oz in March 2026 amid regional tensions), 320 tonnes would be worth roughly $50–55 billion.
Where is Iran’s gold stored?
The official reserves are held in secure vaults controlled by the Central Bank of Iran, primarily in Tehran (the capital and CBI headquarters location).
Details are classified for security reasons — no public tours or exact maps exist, similar to most central banks.
Some reports and social media speculation mention underground facilities in multiple cities like Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz, and Mashhad for分散 storage (to mitigate risks from attacks or sanctions enforcement). This is plausible given Iran’s experience with conflicts and threats, but it’s not officially confirmed by the CBI or independent sources.
Unlike countries that store portions abroad (e.g., in London, New York Fed, or BIS), Iran’s gold is believed to be domestically held due to sanctions limiting international access and a policy of self-reliance/hedging.
In summary: ~320 tonnes official (domestically stored, mostly Tehran-area vaults), with ongoing accumulation via imports and mining. The figure could be slightly higher unofficially due to sanctions-evasion strategies, but nothing points to the extreme claims circulating online. For the absolute latest, check World Gold Council data (gold.org) or IMF IFS reports — they update periodically, though Iran’s reporting can be inconsistent. The ongoing Middle East tensions (including recent conflicts) have boosted gold’s strategic role for Iran as a non-dollar asset.
Re Gold and Mullahs….Bessant said over the weekend, the US has frozen their bank accounts…ie last week…..that may have forced them to sell Gold in any market they can find…..but if some of the Gold is in Iran, they may not be able to deliver it …..lets see if buying comes back from Dealers who don’t get delivered……
Tks for yr comments.
From India,
Very good explanation between the difference in strategy in dollar devaluation, vs chaos in war situations. That gold is doing exactly what it’s meant to do in this war. The question ends with are your stacking or selling in fear.
The Real Reason Gold is Falling (It’s Not What You Think) | DeKoder https://search.app/e1bhh
Getting swamped again with this drop.
Gets a call from Texas they go big in Texas. A 100k in silver.
I learned something about who gets notified depending on how you pay.
Yes that is exactly what is happening. And the Dubai doorknobs as well.
Between them and the leveraged ETF’s etc … this is not surprising.
I think it will last a few more months in total … as people are starting to figure this is not going away.
A bounce in PMs is coming soon … but I would not be surprised if we see more weakness as the broads break hard on that realization.
Thanks for your work on the site.
I think a lot of plugged in people frequent here but you don’t hear from them.
Thanks again
Going wacko. Green red green red in seconds.
She’s right, switching it to things like Bitcoin to travel with as well and can buy it back… Many take Bitcoin too.
But everythings down because it affects the economy. If the Houthis decide to block the red sea next things will get worse. When resolved Trump and the Israel will look in like good to guys to but that’s not why they’re doing in what their doing.
Then business as usual with more controls, digital currency agenda, depopulation over robots so they don’t have to pay them what they owe them.
These people behind the scenes underestimate people. If they want to turn it into a third word cause civil unrest to kill people off along with their other depopulation plans they just might get it but it won’t turn out well for them. They’ll form their own communities and surprised UK and EU aren’t already doing it. Work with farmers mixed with city skilled including young and computers. Build their own barriers and walls cut off roads and start their own communities. Defund the blackrocks, vanguards state streets. They know machines depend on electricity and can be cut off. They know how to make EMPs without using bombs. They try to cut the people off they will be cut off. They might wake up and find their roads gone and their power out. They don’t realize how skilled and imaginative people are, or they can’t make it without the people. Like anyone who singles themselves out in plain sight they’ll be a target like anyone else. Once they think they got what they want theyll find out they might not want what they got. They want third world they might just get it but not in the way they planned.
Re Golds fall…my wife reckons the Mullahs are dumping their and the Iranians Gold, prior to running away….Iran has/had over 300 Tonnes…I think.
I thought about buying some pre 65 rolls but their sold out or holding back don’t know but none to buy. So I bought a few other things then I found I had to call my bank cuz they’re putting limits on how much you can spend to 5k. So had to call the bank to approve it. That is one of the reasons I’m not going to stop buying when it gets harder and harder to buy anything on a bank card.
And do they think Trump or the Republicans stopped caring about the mid terms or being blamed for a long drawn out war and the stock market selling off?
If they don’t then we really have a problem.
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It was the worst week for gold in 43 years. A stunning 10.5% collapse that took the price from over $5,000/oz to just under $4,500/oz in five trading days. You have to go all the way back to 1982 to find a weekly drop of this magnitude. But what makes this crash so historically unusual; and so profoundly bullish, is not its size, but its context.
Every major gold crash in modern history has been driven by a clear and present fundamental threat;
In each case, the narrative made sense. The macro-environment was hostile to gold, and the price reacted accordingly.
This time is different. The backdrop for this crash is not bearish; it is wildly bullish. A hot war is raging in the Middle East. Oil refineries are burning. The U.S. has deployed three carrier strike groups to the region. Inflation is rising.
These are the very conditions in which gold is supposed to thrive.
And yet, it just posted its worst performance since the peak of the Volcker era. This is not a fundamental story. It is a mechanical one. And that is the key to understanding what comes next.
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Warfare
The new war machines remind me of what I heard about Viagra. Once they have it they get eager to go try it out on someone. I hope not less they have to but that’s not how it really goes.
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ: KTOS) is carving out a niche as a high-tech innovator focused on the next generation of unmanned combat aircraft. The company is a market disruptor with a portfolio of high-performance, attritable jets, including the XQ-58A Valkyrie. These systems are designed to fly as “loyal wingmen” alongside manned fighter jets, acting as force multipliers by scouting, deploying weapons, and drawing enemy fire at a fraction of the cost of traditional aircraft. This strategy addresses the Pentagon’s need to generate mass against near-peer adversaries without breaking the budget.
That guy knows a lot and speaks very well, he’s Asian Guy but for real … I think!
I love it when a prognosticator goes out on a limb with an imminent prediction: you get quick validation of their acumen.
Gotta hope he’s wrong about escalation. Pray for an offramp for the war … some sanity.
No ground troops Trump!
Simon also pointed out that Bitcoin went up because people leaving due to war that country would of had their gold confiscated so they sold it for a few dollars under spot and bought bitcoin in self custody and get their money out of the country.
In the US you can give a relative when your still alive 19k a year. Married 38k a yr without them having to fill out a gift tax. Further when it comes to gold or silver if they they just got it they don’t have any capital gains.
