Tensions escalate between Greenland and Iran, with gold and silver continuing to strengthen into early 2026
January 15 News, as the sovereignty dispute over Greenland and tensions in the Middle East escalate again, global risk aversion sentiment has noticeably increased. Gold and silver prices have continued to rise since early 2026, becoming one of the core assets attracting capital attention. According to the latest market performance, silver has gained over 26% in the first two weeks of this year, and the overall precious metals sector remains strong.
On the news front, senior officials from the United States, Denmark, and Greenland recently held talks at the White House regarding Greenland-related issues but failed to reach an agreement. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen stated that the U.S. and Denmark have fundamental disagreements on this matter. Previously, Greenland had clearly expressed its stance to maintain relations with Denmark, while U.S. President Trump emphasized that the U.S. strategic interests in the region are non-negotiable. Former Icelandic President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson warned that if these disagreements escalate into conflict, it could have far-reaching impacts on the Western alliance and global order.
Meanwhile, the U.S. attitude toward Iran has also triggered market volatility. Trump hinted at a possible delay in military action against Iran, stating that violence in the region is subsiding. Nevertheless, Iran’s temporary closure of its airspace once heightened market tensions. As a result, international oil prices retreated during U.S. trading hours, but the appeal of precious metals as safe-haven assets further strengthened.
On the macro level, Trump’s recent strong rhetoric on the independence of the Federal Reserve is also considered one of the key factors driving up gold and silver prices. Historical experience shows that when policy uncertainty rises and the outlook for currencies is under pressure, precious metals tend to attract more capital allocation.
In the stock market, major U.S. indices declined under pressure, with the chip sector dragging down overall performance. However, TSMC, the world’s largest chip foundry, reported a 35% year-over-year increase in Q4 profit, indicating that demand for AI-related semiconductors remains resilient. Currently, investors are weighing between “geopolitical risk-averse asset allocation” and “long-term growth theme of artificial intelligence,” resulting in a clear market style divergence.
In the Asia-Pacific markets, most stock markets weakened, but South Korea’s stock market hit a record high against the trend, mainly benefiting from stable monetary policy expectations. Overall, at the beginning of 2026, the global financial markets are in a stage of multiple variables intertwined. The performance of safe-haven assets like gold and silver has become an important window to observe changes in risk appetite.