Investors risk sentiments dampened on heightened geopolitical tensions after news that the U.S. military had killed Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard's Quds Force. The strike also killed Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes, the deputy head of the Popular Mobilization Forces, which is an umbrella for dozens of militias that are part of the Iraqi security apparatus but include factions that swear allegiance to Iran's supreme leader.
Tensions in the Gulf region escalated with Tehran vowing to avenge the death of General Soleimani and its allies in Iraq pressing to expel US troops from the country. Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi condemned the overnight strike, calling it a flagrant breach of the terms underwriting the presence of US forces in the country. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, declared three days of mourning for Soleimani's death and said that a hard revenge awaits criminals, responsible for the attack.
Minutes of the Federal Reserve's last meeting, meanwhile, showed increased optimism in December among senior officials about the economy as Beijing-Washington trade tensions eased, but worries lingered about growth, including stubbornly low inflation.
US oil futures jumped some 4% earlier in the day, and settled up 3.1% at $63.05 a barrel, marking their highest level since April.
Gold prices settled 1.6% higher at a four-week high, due to the same dynamic of investors putting their money into safe assets.
Safe haven currencies, which tend to spike during times of trouble, climbed higher. The US dollar was up and the Japanese yen soared to its best level since November against its US rival.
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