A month ago they said Iran’s charging for maritime passage “violates international law,” and today the U.S. itself collected 20%—double standards, played very smoothly.

In the early hours of July 14 Beijing time, Brent crude surged 9.6%, closing at $83.30 per barrel, the biggest single-day gain since May 2020. After the Asian session opened, Brent kept pushing higher and moved above $85

WTI crude rises above $80 for the first time in a month

Meanwhile, Bitcoin falls below $62,000, with a 24-hour drop of more than 3%

What’s going on?

On July 13, Trump announced on social media:

The U.S. is resuming its maritime blockade against Iran. At the same time, the U.S. will become the “Guardian of the Strait of Hormuz,” charging a 20% fee for all cargo transported through the Strait

U.S. forces will formally carry out the blockade at 4:00 a.m. Beijing time on July 15, covering all Iranian ports and areas along the coast. Vessels entering without authorization may be intercepted, diverted, seized, or even destroyed with force

Trump has already formally notified Congress: hostilities involving Iran have reignited

This set of double standards is really played very smoothly

Last month, U.S. Secretary of State Rubio also said in a stern and righteous way: Iran absolutely cannot charge in the Strait of Hormuz, because that violates international law

Rubio’s exact words: “If you can only pass by paying—call it whatever you want, a toll or a donation—that’s an international waterway. No country on Earth supports having to pay to pass through the strait.”

He also said that charging is unwise, cannot happen, and is simply not workable

A month later, the U.S. itself became the one charging

Not only does Trump charge—he also self-appoints himself as the “Guardian of the Strait of Hormuz,” and insists it’s for the sake of fairness and on fairness grounds

Iran’s Foreign Minister Araghchi’s response is nothing short of textbook-level mockery:

“Trump is completely correct. Whoever provides security for merchant ships to safely transit the strait should be entitled to compensation. Iran has always been the guardian of the strait, and it will always be so. 20% is of course too high—we will charge fairly.”

Translation: You’re right—charging is reasonable, but we’re the real deal, and we charge less than you

At the same time, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards took action—two foreign oil tankers were accused of “ignoring warnings and shutting down navigation systems,” were attacked, and destroyed. The UAE said the two UAE-flagged tankers were hit by Iranian cruise missiles, with 1 person killed and 8 people injured

What does this mean for the crypto market?

Bitcoin gets smashed from above $64,000 down to below $62,000. The signal from the market is very clear:

Geopolitical conflict → oil prices surge → inflation expectations rise → the Fed dares not cut rates → risk assets come under pressure

In this transmission chain, every link is tightening

And don’t forget—U.S. forces have carried out airstrikes on Iran for the third consecutive night. There are no signs the conflict is cooling down; instead, it’s escalating

An over-the-counter trader at Wintermute said something worth pondering: Bitcoin held on to $62,000 through multiple rounds of U.S. airstrikes and concerns about the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, showing that “weak hands seem to have already exited.”

In translation, that means: the people who should sell have already sold, and the rest are just old retail hodlers

“International law, in America’s eyes, is nothing more than a piece of paper that can be torn up at any time. Today they tear up Iran’s passage-fee ban; tomorrow they might tear up your position.”

Rubio said a month ago that charging violates international law, and a month later the U.S. itself leads the way in violating it. Do you think it’s a question of principle? It’s always a question of self-interest

Do you think this Brent move can push up to $90?

At the $62,000 level for Bitcoin, are you buying the dip or running away? #PreIPOs第二期OpenAI认购 #百万充值补贴 #伊朗宣布关闭霍尔木兹海峡 $BTC $BZ $CL