US stocks proved the strongest hedge during the 2026 US-Iran war, while gold, silver, and Bitcoin (BTC) all lost ground. The assets investors bought for safety delivered the weakest returns of the conflict.

The war ran from February 28 to June 17, 2026, before a July flare-up reopened hostilities. Across that span, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq climbed to records while precious metals collapsed.

Why the Safe-Haven Trade Backfired

Gold entered the war near record highs. The metal had rallied nearly 60% over the prior eight months, reaching $5,281 by February 27, close to its all-time peak. That run was priced in heavy geopolitical risk before any strike landed.

Israel and the United States struck Iran on February 28, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Gold spiked briefly, then reversed. Traders sold the news after months of buying the rumor.

The precious metal posted four consecutive monthly declines. It declined about 16% during the second quarter, its weakest quarterly performance since Q2 2013. As previously reported by BeInCrypto, gold fell to $3,942 on June 30, marking its lowest level since early November 2025.

Gold had already dropped 17% by June 17, when the Islamabad Memorandum was signed, and the war officially ended. It then extended losses to 22% loss by mid-July as the conflict reignited. Silver fared worst of all, sinking 37% over the same stretch

How Each Asset Ranked Amid The US-Iran War

Notably, US equities won despite an early scare. The S&P 500 dropped nearly 8% into late March, then rallied to fresh records. It now trades about 9% above its pre-war level, while the Nasdaq sits roughly 14% higher.

Bitcoin behaved like a risk asset, not a haven. It climbed to an intraday high of $82,791 on May 10, during a broad risk-on stretch. However, the token round-tripped and closed the war down about 2%.

The June 17 Islamabad Memorandum ended the war and steadied markets. Yet the deal left control of the Strait of Hormuz ambiguous. That gap reopened in July, when Iran reportedly struck tankers, and the United States resumed strikes.

Bitcoin slipped further as tensions returned. It traded near $62,000 by July 13. However, it rebounded by nearly 4% the next day, closing at $64,956, just 1.4% below its pre-war level.

Cooling US inflation drove the bounce, not the conflict. June consumer prices fell 0.4% on the month, the biggest drop since April 2020. 

That eased fears of another Fed rate hike and caught bearish traders offside. Coinglass data showed roughly $292.79 million in short positions liquidated, against $292.79 million in long positions.

The rebound underlined Bitcoin’s real nature. It rallied on a macro signal, not a war headline. Meanwhile, gold and silver have resumed their fall today after a modest rebound yesterday, cementing their place as the conflict’s worst performers.

Was Oil the Only True War Hedge?

Oil behaved the way gold was supposed to. Brent crude tracked the fighting almost perfectly, rising on escalation and falling on peace. It was the clearest example of war trade during the conflict.

Brent started the war near $72 on February 27. It then surged 63% to $118 by late March, as strikes threatened supply through the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway carries roughly a fifth of the world’s oil.

Prices then reversed as the war wound down. Brent round-tripped to about $70 by July 1, erasing the entire wartime gain. The June ceasefire removed the supply threat that had driven the spike.

The July flare-up sent it higher again. Brent jumped nearly 18% in a week after Iran struck tankers and the United States reinstated its Hormuz blockade. It traded above $84 by July 15.

The pattern makes oil a hedge for the war itself, not for holding through it. It rewarded traders who bought escalation and sold peace. Buy-and-hold investors lost nothing because the price returned to roughly its original level.

However, this may not be true for all the global conflicts. The US-Iran conflict specifically hinders the steady supply of oil. Hence, as the supply decreases, the oil price tends to rise. Due to this, for most of the conflict, oil acted as a war hedge.

Source: BeInCrypto