President Donald Trump delivered his first prime-time address on the Iran war on Wednesday night. He told the nation that “core strategic objectives are nearing completion.” He then promised to escalate.
Oil was falling when Trump started talking. It was up 5% by the time he stopped — and that tells the whole story.
Markets Expected Peace. They Got ‘Stone Ages.’
“We are going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks,” Trump said. “We’re going to bring them back to the Stone Ages, where they belong.”
The speech lasted 19 minutes. It contained no new information, no timeline to end the war, and no plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Markets had spent two days rallying on hopes that Trump would announce an off-ramp. Instead, he promised more bombs.
Brent crude surged 5% to above $106 per barrel. West Texas Intermediate jumped 4.1% to $104. The S&P 500 futures fell 1.1%. European futures dropped 1.5%. Gold lost 1.4% to $4,691 per ounce. Silver fell 3%. The 10-year Treasury yield climbed to 4.36%.
Bitcoin dropped from an intraday high of $69,135 to $66,818, a 3.3% decline. Ethereum fell 2.8% to $2,084. The entire two-day relief rally in crypto evaporated in a single evening.
Asia took the hardest hit. South Korea’s KOSPI fell 3.5%, the worst performer in the region. Japan’s Nikkei lost 1.8%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dropped about 1%.
‘Just Take It’ — Trump Tells Allies to Secure Hormuz
Trump said the Strait of Hormuz would “open up naturally” once the war ends. He urged oil-importing nations to “build some delayed courage” and secure the waterway themselves. He did not explain how or when that might happen.
Hours earlier, at a White House Easter lunch, Trump was more blunt. He said the US could “just take their oil,” but added that Americans lack “the patience” for it. He also named South Korea, Japan, and China directly, telling each to step up on Hormuz.
That message landed hard in Seoul. The KOSPI’s 3.5% decline reflected both energy import vulnerability and the shock of being singled out by the US president.
Trump also dropped his April 6 deadline threat to bomb Iran’s power grid. He made no mention of NATO, ground troops, or ongoing negotiations. The absence of specifics was itself a signal. Investors had hoped for clarity. They received ambiguity.
Iran Holds Firm, Toll Booth Stays Open
Iran showed no interest in backing down. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said there are no direct negotiations with Washington and that Tehran’s trust in the US stands at zero. President Masoud Pezeshkian posted an open letter in English asking Americans which of their interests this war truly serves.
Meanwhile, Iran’s parliament continues working on legislation to make its Hormuz toll system permanent. The IRGC already charges vessels up to $2 million per transit, settled in stablecoins or Chinese yuan. If codified into law, this regime would outlast any ceasefire.
That is the gap the market is now pricing in. Trump says the strait will open naturally. Iran is building a toll booth designed to last forever. Oil traders, bond traders, and crypto traders all reached the same conclusion Wednesday night: this war is not ending soon.
The post Trump’s ‘Stone Ages’ Threat Sends Bitcoin Below $67K appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Source: https://beincrypto.com/trumps-stone-ages-threat-sends-bitcoin-below-67k/
