Gold slipped below $4,500 per ounce on Thursday, trimming gains from the previous session as conflicting statements from the US and Iran over potential peace talks continued to unsettle financial markets. Washington has maintained that negotiations are underway, with the Trump administration reportedly sending a 15-point proposal to Iran via Pakistan aimed at resolving the conflict and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. However, Iran said it has no intention of holding talks with the US and would reject a US ceasefire offer, instead setting its own conditions including sovereign control over the strategic waterway. The US has also ordered the deployment of thousands of troops to the Middle East, heightening concerns about a possible ground invasion. Gold has faced intense selling pressure this month as surging energy prices linked to disruptions from the Iran war fueled inflation fears and prompted a hawkish shift among major central banks.