U.S. President Donald Trump has escalated his rhetoric toward Iran, warning that U.S. forces will strike Iranian infrastructure — including power plants — unless Tehran reopens the Strait of Hormuz by April 7. The threat follows last week’s U.S. strike on Iran’s Ghadir Bridge and comes as the strategically vital waterway has been closed to global shipping for more than three weeks.
On Sunday Trump posted a highly charged message on Truth Social saying that “Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day” would come if the strait is not reopened, and issued several hard deadlines demanding Tehran restore passage. In a TV appearance after his post he said there was a “good chance” a deal could be reached on Monday, but also warned that if talks collapse he was considering more drastic options, including seizing oil resources.
Iranian officials have responded defiantly. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei warned Tehran would “react in kind” to any attack on its infrastructure and said Iranian forces would target similar facilities tied to the United States. Mahdi Tabatabaei, a spokesman for Iran’s president’s office, said Iran intends to keep the strait closed and may impose transit tolls to compensate for infrastructure damage. Gen. Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi called Trump’s threats “helpless, nervous, unbalanced and stupid,” adding that they would unleash severe consequences for the U.S.
The confrontation has already roiled markets. The Strait of Hormuz handles roughly 20%–30% of global oil transit; its shutdown has pushed Brent crude above $109 per barrel (closing Thursday), and oil remains vulnerable when markets reopen. Prediction markets have reacted sharply: Polymarket’s probability of a U.S. invasion rose to about 63%, reflecting elevated geopolitical risk.
Cryptocurrency markets have felt the spillover. Risk sentiment is under pressure as investors reassess exposure to risk assets and energy-linked macro risk. Bitcoin, which dipped near $66,000 last week, recovered into the high $60,000s and was trading just under $69,200 at press time. The total crypto market capitalization was up about 2.2% over the same period, but the path forward looks contingent on how the Iran standoff evolves and whether oil-price and risk-off pressure intensifies.
Bottom line for crypto traders: heightened Middle East tensions are reintroducing macro volatility and risk-off dynamics that can quickly affect liquidity and momentum in digital-asset markets. Watch oil prices, political headlines, and prediction-market signals closely for potential near-term catalysts.
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