Iran Turns Sour: War Could Restart at Any Time, Hormuz Strait Blocked Again, Bitcoin Falls Back to $75,500

Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced again last night that the Strait of Hormuz is being closed, just hours after Trump claimed the strait would be "never closed." IRGC stated that vessels approaching violations will become targets for attack, causing oil prices to surge and Bitcoin to retreat.
(Background: Conditional reopening of the Strait of Hormuz! Iran imposes three strict restrictions: designated exclusive navigation channels, mandatory toll collection, supervised by IRGC)
(Additional background: Chainalysis: Paying Iran oil tanker tolls with Bitcoin or any fiat currency carries a very high risk of U.S. sanctions)

Table of Contents

Toggle

• Lockdown Conditions: Reopening only after U.S. lifts port sanctions
• Chairman’s Warning: Armed forces on full alert, war could restart at any time
• Oil prices rise again, Bitcoin under pressure

Falling out faster than flipping a book. On the night of April 18, the IRGC Navy issued a declaration that the Strait of Hormuz would immediately resume its blockade, explicitly warning: "Approaching the Strait of Hormuz will be considered cooperation with hostile forces, and any vessel violating orders will become a target for attack."

This move came just hours after Trump loudly claimed the strait would be "never closed."

Lockdown Conditions: Reopening only after U.S. lifts port sanctions

IRGC declared that the U.S. continued to block Iranian ports, "violating ceasefire conditions," and criticized Trump's related statements as ineffective. The declaration also demanded: "All vessels must not leave their anchorage in the Persian Gulf or Oman Sea."

The Iranian Supreme National Security Council also issued a statement earlier, emphasizing that Tehran will "continue to monitor and control traffic in the Strait of Hormuz until the war is completely over."

Chairman’s Warning: Armed forces on full alert, war could restart at any time

Iranian Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator Kalibaf directly stated on Iran’s national television:

"We do not trust the enemy. Even as we sit here now, war could break out, and the armed forces are fully prepared for the battlefield."

He emphasized that although Iran and the U.S. are still negotiating a permanent ceasefire, Iran is ready to respond at any moment if the other side makes a mistake.

Additionally, CNN earlier cited senior Iranian officials revealing that Tehran plans to prioritize allowing "paid" ships to pass, while vessels that have not paid will be "delayed" before being allowed through; the fee is about $1 per barrel, payable in stablecoins or RMB.

Oil prices rise again, Bitcoin under pressure

As soon as news of the Strait of Hormuz being closed again broke, the market reacted immediately: WTI crude oil temporarily rose to about $85 per barrel, and Brent futures also increased to the $92–93 range.

In the cryptocurrency market, Bitcoin surged to about $78,300 yesterday (18th) but then gradually declined. As of press time, it is trading at $75,509. Negotiations between Iran and the U.S. are ongoing, but disagreements over port sanctions and strait passage rights remain unresolved, and geopolitical tensions are still highly uncertain.