It would seem world energy disruption was always the goal of the Iran war for the US operations to profit, and why getting control of Venezuela was first. It was reported that Iran was going to use Bitcoin for toll payments, which would have had a significant impact on the price of Bitcoin as shipping companies had to acquire more at the same time ETFs, MSTR and other entities are gobbling up what liquid Bitcoin remains, surpassing newly mined Bitcoin availability. And Iran was heavily involved in Bitcoin mining to pay for imports and get around sanctions, but since the war it is reported Iran lost 77% of its Bitcoin mining capacity (it would be interesting to know if it was targeted or just energy related?). And this would have been harmful to the OCGFC stablecoin efforts and shined a light on how great Bitcoin is for payments with governments unable to sanction activity while blowing up the price they’ve worked so hard to manipulate down. Another interesting development to keep an eye on is the alliance between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, with nuclear capable Pakistan having sent aircraft to Saudi Arabia to support their ally, article below Zerohedge article.
By Tyler Durden
Summary
- President Trump begins blockading Strait of Hormuz, warns US military will “finish up the little that is left of Iran”
- 2 Supertankers U-turn after peace deal talks fail
- UAE Oil Chief warns Iran blocking Hormuz is “a direct threat to the energy, food and health security of every nation”
The odds of a peace deal by the end of the ceasefire period have improved modestly today but remain down significantly from pre-talks…
Attempted Boarding of Commerical Ship in Bab el-Mandeb Strait
United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported that a “sailing vessel” was approached by a small boat carrying 10 to 12 people, several of them heavily armed with automatic weapons, in what appeared to be an attempted boarding.
“The Master deployed a flare and the skiff turned away and departed to the southeast,” UKMTO wrote in an advisory posted on X about the maritime incident near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, another critical chokepoint that Iran-aligned Houthi rebels have threatened to close in recent weeks.
President Trump Begins Blockading Strait Of Hormuz
President Trump said the US would blockade the Strait of Hormuz following the collapse of peace talks with Iran in Islamabad this weekend.
“Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump said in a social media post.
Trump noted that talks went well… until they didn’t…
“So, there you have it, the meeting went well, most points were agreed to, but the only point that really mattered, NUCLEAR, was not.“
The US president is hopeful…
At some point, we will reach an “ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO IN, ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO OUT” basis, but Iran has not allowed that to happen by merely saying, “There may be a mine out there somewhere,” that nobody knows about but them.
But then came the threats, with Trump apparently widening his purview to international waters:
THIS IS WORLD EXTORTION, and Leaders of Countries, especially the United States of America, will never be extorted.
I have also instructed our Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran.
No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas.
We will also begin destroying the mines the Iranians laid in the Straits.
Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL!
And the art of the deal… Escalate to De-Escalate… how long can Iran last with no oil revenues at all?
Iran knows, better than anyone, how to END this situation which has already devastated their Country.
Their Navy is gone, their Air Force is gone, their Anti Aircraft and Radar are useless, Khomeini, and most of their “Leaders,” are dead, all because of their Nuclear ambition.
The Blockade will begin shortly. Other Countries will be involved with this Blockade. Iran will not be allowed to profit off this Illegal Act of EXTORTION.
They want money and, more importantly, they want Nuclear.
Additionally and, at an appropriate moment, we are fully “LOCKED AND LOADED,” and our Military will finish up the little that is left of Iran!
Iran’s semi-official media cited “excessive” US demands, while the foreign ministry said it was natural that differences wouldn’t be resolved in a single round of talks, leaving the door open for more discussions.
A month ago we wondered…
If Iran is blocking and attacking US ships, why is the US allowing sanctioned Iranian tankers to cross the strait with Chinese oil? — zerohedge (@zerohedge) March 12, 2026
…and now we have an answer.
The question is – how will the UAE oil chief deal with a US closure versus an Iranian closure?
China will certainly be pissed off as their tankers were flowing relatively freely until now.
Is the US endgame to take control of another chokepoint too…
2 Supertankers U-Turn In Strait After Peace Talks End Without A Deal
The marathon peace talks this weekend in Islamabad between Iranian negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Vice President JD Vance, and other officials ended without a deal. Still, the top Iranian negotiator signaled that the door remains open for future talks. Polymarket odds of a peace deal being signed this month collapsed late Saturday.
Yes 16% · No 85%
View full market & trade on Polymarket
Pakistani Force With Fighter Jets Arrives In Saudi Arabia Amid Ceasefire With Iran
A Pakistani military force, including fighter jets, had arrived in Saudi Arabia, the kingdom’s Ministry of Defense announced on April 11, amid a ceasefire between the United States and Iran.
“The Ministry of Defense announces the arrival of a military force from the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to King Abdulaziz Air Base in the Eastern Sector as part of the Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement signed between the two brotherly countries,” the ministry said in a statement.
It added that the force arrived with the purpose of “enhancing joint military coordination and raising the level of operational readiness between the armed forces of the two countries.”
Last year, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed the Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement. Under this agreement, an attack on either is considered an attack on both.
Pakistan played a key role in brokering the two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran, which entered into effect on April 7. The announcement came as the first round of talks between senior officials from the two countries began in the country’s capital, Islamabad.
The Islamic Republic attacked Saudi Arabia with missiles and drones on a near-daily basis right after the start of the American-Israeli war, mainly targeting Prince Sultan Air Base, which hosts American troops and aircraft, in the heart of the kingdom.
The decision to deploy the Pakistani force at King Abdulaziz Air Base reflects a desire not to get involved in U.S. operations in any way.
The deployment also indicates that the war is not over yet. Despite some optimism about the ongoing American-Iranian talks, Saudi Arabia is clearly preparing for a new round of fighting.
Needless to say, if the war resumes, the Pakistani force in Saudi Arabia will likely conduct defensive operations only, even if Iran launching attacks against the kingdom.