Hundreds of civilians, mostly in Iran, have been killed by dueling airstrikes despite international pleas for de-escalation.

By Brijesh Patel (Reuters) -Gold rose for a fourth straight session to a near two-month high on Monday, as intensified clashes between Israel and Iran over the weekend stoked fears of a broader regional conflict,

The Israel Defense Forces said the air force had launched strikes against missile sites in central Iran, as the Middle East conflict entered a fourth day.

Dozens of others were injured overnight across Israel, the authorities said. Israel was striking military sites in Iran and the four-day-old conflict showed no sign of slowing.

Iran conflict could open opportunities for Russia to possibly become a power broker to help end the confrontation.

India's equity benchmarks are set to open little changed on Monday after two straight sessions of losses, as the conflict between Israel and Iran showed no signs of cooling, denting risk sentiment.

Israel launched a broad air campaign against Iran, targeting its nuclear capabilities and its military and political leadership. Markets were rattled. Israel said it was working to intercept dozens of missiles launched from Iran.

Jon Faust, who advised three Fed chairs, doesn’t see an interest-rate cut until December — an even then, the odds of a move are just 50/50.