PRECIOUS-Gold falls as Middle East tensions keep oil soaring, Fed meeting in focus

BY Reuters | ECONOMIC | 11:47 AM EDT

* Spot gold falls 2% to lowest in nearly 4 weeks

* Trump rejects latest Iranian proposal

* UAE announces decision to withdraw from OPEC

* Fed expected to hold rates steady at end of meeting on Wednesday (Updates prices for U.S. afternoon trade)

By Ishaan Arora

April 28 (Reuters) - Gold fell more than 2% to a near four-week low on Tuesday, on peristent inflation concerns after U.S. President Donald Trump appeared dissatisfied with Iran's latest proposal to end the war, while investors awaited the Federal Reserve's monetary policy meeting this week.

Spot gold dropped 2.4% to $4,570.34 per ounce, as of 11:24 a.m. EDT (1524 GMT), its lowest level since April 2. U.S. gold futures for June delivery fell 2.3% to $4,584.70.

"It's revived pessimism about the peace process in the Middle East. The Trump administration rejected Iran's most recent offer and so the strait remains closed," said Peter Grant, vice president and senior metals strategist at Zaner Metals.

"That has driven oil prices up and revived concerns about inflation heading into the FOMC meeting this week... pushing gold to four-week lows."

Trump is unhappy with the latest Iranian proposal on resolving the war, a U.S. official said, dampening hopes for a resolution to the conflict that has disrupted energy supplies, fuelled inflation and killed thousands.

Oil prices rose more than 3% as stalled efforts to end the Iran war kept the Strait of Hormuz largely closed, constraining Middle East supplies, while the UAE announced that it would leave OPEC and OPEC+.

Elevated crude prices add to inflationary pressures, increasing the likelihood of higher interest rates. While gold is traditionally seen as a hedge against inflation, high interest rates weigh on its appeal as a non-yielding asset.

Investors expect the Fed to hold interest rates steady at its two-day meeting ending Wednesday. They will also be eyeing Fed Chair Jerome Powell's remarks closely.

Other central bank decisions this week will also be on investors' radar, including those from the European Central Bank, the Bank of England and the Bank of Canada.

Meanwhile, China, the world's top gold consumer, net imported 47.866 metric tons in March from Hong Kong, up from 46.249 tons in February, Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department data showed on Tuesday.

Spot silver fell 3.6% to $72.78 per ounce, platinum lost 1.9% to $1,945.28 and palladium was down 1.2% at $1,459.78. (Reporting by Ishaan Arora in Bengaluru; Editing by Keith Weir and Leroy Leo)

In general the bond market is volatile, and fixed income securities carry interest rate risk. (As interest rates rise, bond prices usually fall, and vice versa. This effect is usually more pronounced for longer-term securities.) Fixed income securities also carry inflation risk and credit and default risks for both issuers and counterparties. Unlike individual bonds, most bond funds do not have a maturity date, so avoiding losses caused by price volatility by holding them until maturity is not possible.

Lower-quality debt securities generally offer higher yields, but also involve greater risk of default or price changes due to potential changes in the credit quality of the issuer. Any fixed income security sold or redeemed prior to maturity may be subject to loss.

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