Metals Fall as Trump Repeats Threat to Attack Iran Power Plants

Copper fell with other industrial metals after US President Donald Trump reiterated a threat to attack Iran’s civilian infrastructure should negotiations fail to end the monthlong war.

The US will strike Iran “extremely hard” over the next two to three weeks and could target “each and every one” of the country’s power plants, Trump said in a prime-time TV address on Wednesday. Though he also said the military operation was very close to completion, the risks around escalation sent copper, aluminum and zinc lower. Oil futures surged.