The situation in the Middle East is in turmoil again. Iran rejects the US's "surrender" request. Germany, France and the UK plan to hold nuclear talks on Friday.
2025-06-19 09:10:32
On Wednesday (June 18), the situation in the Middle East further escalated as Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei explicitly rejected US President Trump's demand for "unconditional surrender". Trump said his patience had run out, but he has not yet made clear the next move. At the same time, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu claimed that he was gradually eliminating Iran's nuclear and missile threats, while Iran took measures such as Internet restrictions to cope with internal pressure. The foreign ministers of Germany, France and the United Kingdom plan to hold nuclear talks with Iran in Geneva on Friday (June 20) to try to ease tensions. Senior US military officials stated that they are ready to implement any decision, while Russian President Putin remains cautious about related issues.
Khamenei responds strongly to Trump
On June 18, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made a rare televised speech in which he directly rebuked US President Donald Trump's unconditional surrender demands. The 86-year-old leader made his first public appearance since last Friday and said firmly: "The Iranian nation will never succumb to threats." He warned the United States that any military intervention would lead to "irreparable losses." Khamenei's speech was not only a direct response to Trump, but also intended to rally domestic public opinion and respond to external pressure.
Trump's ambiguous attitude
Trump told reporters in the Oval Office of the White House that Iranian officials had expressed their desire to come to Washington for talks, but he thought it was "a little late now." He revealed that he had not yet decided whether to participate in Israel's military action against Iran, and said mysteriously that "the collapse of the Iranian government is not impossible." Trump had previously publicly demanded that Iran surrender unconditionally when Israel launched air strikes on its nuclear facilities and missile bases, saying that he had "had enough." This tough but unclear next move has added more uncertainty to the situation.
The latest news shows that the United States is considering launching an attack on Iran this weekend. Investors need to pay attention.
Israel’s “step-by-step” strategy
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced in a video released on the evening of June 18 that Israel is eliminating the threat of Iran's nuclear facilities and ballistic missiles "step by step." He claimed that Israel has "controlled the airspace over Tehran" and has launched a "huge force" attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, missile bases and regime symbols. This statement shows that Israel has taken a more proactive stance in military operations, trying to weaken Iran's strategic capabilities through continued pressure.
Preventing panic and shortages
Faced with external military pressure, the Iranian government has taken a series of measures to stabilize the domestic situation. Compared with the early days of the bombing, the official media has reduced the images of explosions, fires and building collapses, and banned the public from filming related scenes. These measures are aimed at avoiding the spread of panic and preventing material shortages from causing social unrest. The Iranian government emphasizes its commitment to maintaining national stability, but strict information control has also caused speculation about its internal situation.
Temporarily restrict internet access
Iran's Ministry of Communications announced on June 18 that it would temporarily restrict Internet access, citing the need to prevent "enemies from threatening the lives and property of citizens." This measure was interpreted by the outside world as an attempt by the Iranian government to cut off the flow of information in order to curb external forces from using the Internet to incite domestic discontent. Internet restrictions may further exacerbate the anxiety of the Iranian people, while also creating obstacles for the international community to understand the situation inside Iran.
Germany, France and the UK plan for nuclear talks
According to sources in the German diplomatic community, the foreign ministers of Germany, France and the United Kingdom plan to hold nuclear talks with the Iranian foreign minister in Geneva on June 20. The talks will first meet with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kallas, followed by a joint dialogue with Iran. German sources said the talks are aimed at persuading Iran to ensure that its nuclear program is limited to the civilian sector and will coordinate its position with the United States. After the talks, there will also be a structured dialogue at the expert level, showing that European countries hope to ease the crisis through diplomatic means.
Germany's tough stance and conciliation
German Chancellor Merz publicly supported Israel's military action and warned Iran that if it did not ease the situation, it would face a "greater threat of destruction." This statement angered Tehran. At the same time, German Foreign Minister Waldful called on Iranian leaders to return to the negotiation table as soon as possible, emphasizing that "it is not too late now." While supporting Israel, Germany also tried to avoid a full escalation of the conflict through diplomatic efforts.
The U.S. military’s combat readiness posture
On June 18, U.S. Defense Secretary Hegseth told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the U.S. military was "ready to execute" any decision Trump made on war and peace. Although he did not specify whether he was preparing a military strike against Iran, this statement showed that the U.S. military was on high alert. Trump's ambiguous attitude combined with the military's tough stance further exacerbated concerns about the escalation of the conflict.
Russia's cautious stance
When asked at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum on June 18 whether he supported the assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he "did not even want to discuss" the issue. He also revealed that the strategic partnership treaty signed between Russia and Iran in January this year did not include military cooperation clauses, indicating that Russia prefers to remain neutral in the current situation and avoid direct involvement in the conflict.
Iran rejected the US's "surrender" request, Israel continued to advance its military operations, European countries tried to ease the crisis through diplomatic mediation, the US maintained an ambiguous attitude between military and diplomacy, and Russia chose to wait and see cautiously. The complexity of the situation in the Middle East lies in the interweaving of interests of all parties, and any tough move by any party may trigger a chain reaction. Iran's domestic Internet restrictions and information control show that its internal pressure is increasing, and the differences in the international community have also added more uncertainty to the situation.
Analysis of the impact on gold prices <br/>The escalation of tensions in the Middle East usually pushes up demand for safe-haven assets, and gold, as a traditional safe-haven asset, is often sought after in such events. The current confrontation between Iran and the United States and Israel has intensified. Coupled with Trump's tough stance and Israel's military actions, market concerns about geopolitical risks are heating up. If the conflict escalates further or even evolves into a full-scale military confrontation, gold prices may rise significantly. However, if the nuclear talks between Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Iran make progress, or Trump ultimately chooses diplomacy rather than military means, market risk aversion may ease and gold price gains may be limited.
In the short term, investors need to pay close attention to the development of the situation in the Middle East, especially the outcome of the Geneva nuclear talks, and whether the United States and Israel will take further military action. These will be key factors affecting the trend of gold prices.
At 09:08 Beijing time, spot gold was trading at $3,383.62 per ounce.
Iran, the US and Israel face off
Khamenei responds strongly to Trump
On June 18, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made a rare televised speech in which he directly rebuked US President Donald Trump's unconditional surrender demands. The 86-year-old leader made his first public appearance since last Friday and said firmly: "The Iranian nation will never succumb to threats." He warned the United States that any military intervention would lead to "irreparable losses." Khamenei's speech was not only a direct response to Trump, but also intended to rally domestic public opinion and respond to external pressure.
Trump's ambiguous attitude
Trump told reporters in the Oval Office of the White House that Iranian officials had expressed their desire to come to Washington for talks, but he thought it was "a little late now." He revealed that he had not yet decided whether to participate in Israel's military action against Iran, and said mysteriously that "the collapse of the Iranian government is not impossible." Trump had previously publicly demanded that Iran surrender unconditionally when Israel launched air strikes on its nuclear facilities and missile bases, saying that he had "had enough." This tough but unclear next move has added more uncertainty to the situation.
The latest news shows that the United States is considering launching an attack on Iran this weekend. Investors need to pay attention.
Israel’s “step-by-step” strategy
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced in a video released on the evening of June 18 that Israel is eliminating the threat of Iran's nuclear facilities and ballistic missiles "step by step." He claimed that Israel has "controlled the airspace over Tehran" and has launched a "huge force" attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, missile bases and regime symbols. This statement shows that Israel has taken a more proactive stance in military operations, trying to weaken Iran's strategic capabilities through continued pressure.
Iran’s domestic response: Internet restrictions and information control
Preventing panic and shortages
Faced with external military pressure, the Iranian government has taken a series of measures to stabilize the domestic situation. Compared with the early days of the bombing, the official media has reduced the images of explosions, fires and building collapses, and banned the public from filming related scenes. These measures are aimed at avoiding the spread of panic and preventing material shortages from causing social unrest. The Iranian government emphasizes its commitment to maintaining national stability, but strict information control has also caused speculation about its internal situation.
Temporarily restrict internet access
Iran's Ministry of Communications announced on June 18 that it would temporarily restrict Internet access, citing the need to prevent "enemies from threatening the lives and property of citizens." This measure was interpreted by the outside world as an attempt by the Iranian government to cut off the flow of information in order to curb external forces from using the Internet to incite domestic discontent. Internet restrictions may further exacerbate the anxiety of the Iranian people, while also creating obstacles for the international community to understand the situation inside Iran.
International community's response and mediation
Germany, France and the UK plan for nuclear talks
According to sources in the German diplomatic community, the foreign ministers of Germany, France and the United Kingdom plan to hold nuclear talks with the Iranian foreign minister in Geneva on June 20. The talks will first meet with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kallas, followed by a joint dialogue with Iran. German sources said the talks are aimed at persuading Iran to ensure that its nuclear program is limited to the civilian sector and will coordinate its position with the United States. After the talks, there will also be a structured dialogue at the expert level, showing that European countries hope to ease the crisis through diplomatic means.
Germany's tough stance and conciliation
German Chancellor Merz publicly supported Israel's military action and warned Iran that if it did not ease the situation, it would face a "greater threat of destruction." This statement angered Tehran. At the same time, German Foreign Minister Waldful called on Iranian leaders to return to the negotiation table as soon as possible, emphasizing that "it is not too late now." While supporting Israel, Germany also tried to avoid a full escalation of the conflict through diplomatic efforts.
The U.S. military’s combat readiness posture
On June 18, U.S. Defense Secretary Hegseth told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the U.S. military was "ready to execute" any decision Trump made on war and peace. Although he did not specify whether he was preparing a military strike against Iran, this statement showed that the U.S. military was on high alert. Trump's ambiguous attitude combined with the military's tough stance further exacerbated concerns about the escalation of the conflict.
Russia's cautious stance
When asked at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum on June 18 whether he supported the assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he "did not even want to discuss" the issue. He also revealed that the strategic partnership treaty signed between Russia and Iran in January this year did not include military cooperation clauses, indicating that Russia prefers to remain neutral in the current situation and avoid direct involvement in the conflict.
Summary: The Middle East situation under multi-party game
Iran rejected the US's "surrender" request, Israel continued to advance its military operations, European countries tried to ease the crisis through diplomatic mediation, the US maintained an ambiguous attitude between military and diplomacy, and Russia chose to wait and see cautiously. The complexity of the situation in the Middle East lies in the interweaving of interests of all parties, and any tough move by any party may trigger a chain reaction. Iran's domestic Internet restrictions and information control show that its internal pressure is increasing, and the differences in the international community have also added more uncertainty to the situation.
Analysis of the impact on gold prices <br/>The escalation of tensions in the Middle East usually pushes up demand for safe-haven assets, and gold, as a traditional safe-haven asset, is often sought after in such events. The current confrontation between Iran and the United States and Israel has intensified. Coupled with Trump's tough stance and Israel's military actions, market concerns about geopolitical risks are heating up. If the conflict escalates further or even evolves into a full-scale military confrontation, gold prices may rise significantly. However, if the nuclear talks between Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Iran make progress, or Trump ultimately chooses diplomacy rather than military means, market risk aversion may ease and gold price gains may be limited.
In the short term, investors need to pay close attention to the development of the situation in the Middle East, especially the outcome of the Geneva nuclear talks, and whether the United States and Israel will take further military action. These will be key factors affecting the trend of gold prices.
At 09:08 Beijing time, spot gold was trading at $3,383.62 per ounce.
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