Netherlands relocates 86 tonnes of gold reserves from U.S., Canada to UK

The Dutch central bank said Wednesday it has shifted about 86 tonnes of its gold reserves from New York and Ottawa to London, a move aimed at improving gold transferability and strengthen crisis preparedness.

The relocation was made in two batches, according to a De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) news release. About 59 tonnes of the gold were relocated by selling in the New York market and buying equivalent bullion in London. More than 27 tonnes were physically transported from the United States and Canada to the central Dutch city of Zeist, with an equal amount of gold meeting international market standards then transferred from Zeist to London, leaving the total size of the Dutch gold reserves unchanged.

According to the DNB, the Netherlands held 612.4 tonnes of gold at the end of 2025, mainly across Zeist, London, New York and Ottawa. After the adjustment, the share stored in Zeist stayed at 30.8 percent, while the portion in New York dropped sharply from 31.3 percent to 18.5 percent and the Ottawa share fell from 19.7 percent to 18.5 percent. London's share rose from 18.1 percent to 32.1 percent.

The gold held with the Bank of England is regarded as the world's most easily tradable gold and will therefore be the most readily available for the DNB in a crisis situation, the Dutch central bank said.

The decision reflects the DNB's growing concern about transatlantic tensions since Donald Trump reclaimed presidency. The central bank previously warned that the U.S. could easily cut off Dutch payment transactions and urged reduced dependence on the U.S.

France has moved in a similar direction. In April, the French central bank announced it had completed the transfer of 129 tonnes of gold that had been stored in New York since the late 1920s. The operation, carried out in 26 stages between July 2025 and January 2026, involved selling the New York holdings at market prices and purchasing equivalent gold in Europe for transport to Paris. All of France's 2,437 tonnes of gold reserves are now held domestically.

Netherlands relocates 86 tonnes of gold reserves from U.S., Canada to UK

Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Sunday reiterated that the administration of the Strait of Hormuz and routes in the waterway will not be the same as they were in the past, according to the official news agency IRNA.

Araghchi made the remarks at a ceremony in the Iranian capital Tehran while stressing that "fundamental and strategic" changes have taken place in West Asia following the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran.

"We must accept that new realities have taken hold. The routes in the Strait of Hormuz will not be the same as they once were, and the strait's management will also not be as it was in the past," he said. "There are matters on which we have held negotiations, and these negotiations will continue."

The minister stressed that the region's security must be ensured by regional countries and without reliance on foreign forces, "who have come to the region aiming to safeguard their own interests and protect Israel, and whose continued presence will lead to nothing but insecurity for the entire region."

He added that Iran was ready to cooperate with all regional countries.

On Feb. 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and U.S. bases and assets in the region, and tightened its grip on the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran's FM says Hormuz Strait's routes, management not to return to pre-war era