$Gold - main 2606(GCmain)$International gold prices opened sharply lower on Monday (April 20th), falling by more than $60 at one point by 7:30 AM, a drop of 1.5%, reaching a low of around $4760. This sharp correction completely reversed Friday's strong performance, mainly due to the sudden deterioration of the situation in the Middle East over the weekend: the Strait of Hormuz was closed again, the US military fired on and seized Iranian merchant ships in the Gulf of Oman, and Iran explicitly refused to participate in the second round of US-Iran negotiations, vowing to respond and retaliate. This series of events not only increased global energy risks but also exacerbated market concerns about inflation, significantly dampening