Felix Nikolas Prehn's Podcast

Gold Forced Selling: How The Iran War Margin Calls Nations

• Felix Nikolas Prehn

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0:00 | 21:57

Gold forced selling by central banks is reshaping the bullion market as the Iran war disrupts oil flows and triggers dollar shortages across import-dependent nations. Felix Nikolas Prehn, an economist and former investment banker, traces how Turkey liquidated roughly 58 tons of gold in two weeks, outpacing global ETF outflows combined. He explains the mechanism by which currency-peg countries in the Gulf face a similar margin call: with the Strait of Hormuz closed, dollar inflows from oil sales dry up while military and import costs rise, leaving gold sales as the only viable option to defend their pegs. Russia's forthcoming export ban, effective May 2026, adds further near-term selling pressure. China, the largest state buyer, paused purchases in late 2025. Yet Felix argues the long-term case for gold remains intact, citing likely future rate cuts, continued deficit spending and the erosion of fiat currency value.

In this episode:
00:00 Turkey liquidates 58 tons of gold in two weeks
04:30 Why oil price rises force energy importers to sell gold for dollars
07:30 How Gulf currency pegs create a dollar bathtub that is draining
13:00 Unconfirmed London vault outflows suggest Gulf sovereign selling
15:00 Russia restricts gold exports ahead of May 2026 deadline
16:30 Three simultaneous forces pushing gold prices lower
18:00 China pauses gold purchases in Q4 2025
18:35 Long-term bull case for gold remains despite short-term pressure

Sources mentioned:
TD Securities (commodity strategist quoted on central bank gold demand)
International Monetary Fund (IMF) central bank filings, https://www.imf.org
London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) vault data, https://www.lbma.org.uk
COMEX inventory data

Felix Nikolas Prehn is an economist and former investment banker. He co-founded TradeVision.io and founded Winston Daily and The Prehn Institute. The Prehn Institute gives no financial advice, and neither does this podcast.

Newsletter: Winston Daily, https://winstondaily.com
Research: https://prehninstitute.com
Author site: https://felixprehn.com

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