PRECIOUS-Gold climbs more than 2% on softer dollar, easing expectations of higher rates

* US proposes plan to end war in Iran

* Oil prices drop on prospect of Middle East ceasefire

* US dollar edges down 0.2% (Updates prices for Asia mid-session trading)

By Noel John

March 25 (Reuters) - Gold rose more than 2% on Wednesday, buoyed by a softer dollar, while a drop in oil prices eased concerns about elevated inflation and higher global interest rates, amid reports of a U.S. plan to end the Middle East war.

Spot gold rose 2.2% to $4,570.74 per ounce by 0450 GMT. U.S. gold futures for April delivery gained 3.8% to $4,569.10.

The dollar eased, making greenback-priced bullion cheaper for holders of other currencies.

With hopes of de-escalation in the Middle East conflict, and "as USD strength eased, safe-haven demand starts to reassert. This reinforces the view that gold didn't lose its safe-haven appeal. It was briefly crowded out by the USD, and now that pressure is easing," said Christopher Wong, a strategist at OCBC.

"Near-term, gold is likely to stay sensitive to Federal Reserve policy path expectations, USD and geopolitical developments, but the rebound suggests dips may continue to find support unless real yields move meaningfully higher."

Oil prices fell below $100 a barrel, easing inflation concerns, on the prospect of a possible ceasefire easing supply disruptions from the key Middle East producing region.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the U.S. was making progress in its efforts to negotiate an end to war with Iran, including winning an important concession from Tehran, while a source confirmed that Washington had sent Iran a 15-point settlement proposal.

Higher crude prices tend to fuel inflation by pushing up transport and manufacturing costs. Although rising inflation typically boosts gold's appeal as a hedge, high interest rates weigh on demand for the non-yielding asset.

Investors have trimmed bets on U.S. Federal Reserve rate hikes by December to around 16% from 25% on Friday, according to CME Group's FedWatch.

"Despite gold prices trading ~17% below pre-conflict levels amid USD strength and broad-based de-risking, this flush has historically been a tactical dip to buy, and the bullish case strengthens the longer the conflict persists," JP Morgan said in a note.

Spot silver rose 3.1% to $73.42 per ounce. Spot platinum gained 1.8% to $1,969.64 and palladium was up 1.2% at $1,457.07. (Reporting by Noel John in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich and Mrigank Dhaniwala)