Trump signals retreat from Iran military threats as global markets reprice risk assets
President Donald Trump signaled a retreat from Iran military threats on January 15, 2026. This sparked a global market pivot that hit oil and gold prices.
Insights:
On Wednesday afternoon, January 15, 2026, President Donald Trump donald trumpindicated a shift away from previous threats of potential military action against Iran 
IR. In an interview, Donald Trumpstated he had been told that killings in the crackdown on nationwide protests in Iranwere subsiding and that he believed there was currently no plan for large-scale executions. This signal of geopolitical de-escalation by the US 
USgovernment triggered an immediate reaction across global financial markets, as investors moved to shed the risk premium previously embedded in several asset classes.
IR. In an interview, Donald Trumpstated he had been told that killings in the crackdown on nationwide protests in Iranwere subsiding and that he believed there was currently no plan for large-scale executions. This signal of geopolitical de-escalation by the US USgovernment triggered an immediate reaction across global financial markets, as investors moved to shed the risk premium previously embedded in several asset classes.The impact was most visible in the commodities sector, where safe-haven demand collapsed. Brent Crude Oil futures fell 3.3% to $64.32 per barrel on Thursday, January 16, 2026, after having risen to $66.82 the previous day. Similarly, Gold retreated from a record high of $4,642.72 per ounce to $4,610, marking a decline of approximately 0.2% on the day. Before this announcement, oil and Goldhad reached multi-month and record peaks respectively, driven by fears of a direct conflict involving the United States.
