Gold prices remained steady on Wednesday as investors assessed cautious signals from the Federal Reserve’s latest meeting minutes alongside escalating geopolitical tensions involving Iran. Policymakers said they needed more evidence that inflation was moving sustainably toward the 2% target, tempering expectations for aggressive rate cuts and potentially limiting gold’s near-term upside. Higher real yields can weigh on the non-yielding metal, but uncertainty in the Middle East continues to support demand for gold and U.S. Treasuries. Gold is trading near recent highs, supported by central bank buying, physical demand from Asia and geopolitical concerns. Investors are watching U.S. inflation data, Federal Reserve speeches and developments in the Middle East for direction.