Gold Extends Gains as Trump Pauses Iran Attacks for Two Weeks

• Ceasefire comes hours before Trump's deadline
• Iran says talks with U.S. to begin Friday in Islamabad

By Anmol Choubey

April 8 (Reuters) - Gold extended gains on Wednesday as markets reassessed near-term risks after U.S. President Donald Trump said he had agreed to suspend bombing and attacks on Iran for two weeks, easing fears of energy-driven inflation.

Spot gold XAU= climbed 2.3% to $4,811.66 per ounce by 2344 GMT, after rising 1.2% on Tuesday, while U.S. gold futures GCcv1 for June delivery gained 3.3% to $4,840.20.

Trump said Washington had agreed to a two-week pause in attacks and had received a 10-point proposal from Iran what he described as a workable basis for negotiations.

His comments followed earlier warnings that Tehran must reopen the Strait of Hormuz or risk U.S. retaliation.

"This is a knee-jerk relief rally and it remains to be seen if Iran complies. For gold, the 200 day-moving-average at $4,930 and then $5,000 will be key hurdles. Similarly, $80-$81 is a important level for silver," independent metals trader Tai Wong said.

Pakistan, which has been mediating between Washington and Tehran, had requested the two-week extension to give diplomacy time to proceed.

Iran's Supreme Security Council said negotiations with the United States would begin on Friday, April 10, in Islamabad, after it submitted its proposal via Pakistan, though it added that the talks did not signal an end to the war.

Rising energy prices could fuel inflation and complicate central bank decision on rate cuts. While gold is often seen as an inflation hedge and a safe-haven asset during uncertain times, its appeal tends to weaken in a high-interest-rate environment as it offers no yield.

According to research by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, a prolonged disruption to global oil trade could push U.S. inflation above 4% by year-end, with steeper increases possible in the short term.

Gold, which started the year on a strong note, has fallen more than 8% since the Iran war began on February 28.

Markets are now awaiting the minutes from the Fed's March meeting, due on Wednesday.

Among other metals, spot silver XAG= rose 4.3% to $76.08 per ounce, platinum XPT= gained 2.4% to $2,004.95 and palladium XPD= added 2.1% at $1,500.