U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly commented for the first time on negotiations with a “new and more moderate” Iranian leadership, aiming to end military operations in Iran. This development marks the first public acknowledgment by Washington of a potential leadership shift in Tehran since the outbreak of conflict, signaling a significant turning point in U.S.-Iran relations.
Military pressure gives way to a new phase of talks
In a post on Truth Social, Trump used the term “new leadership” to underline that recent talks have proceeded with different Iranian officials compared to those at the onset of hostilities in late February. The statement was paired with a demand for the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz for trade. Trump warned that, failing this, the U.S. could target Iran’s power plants, oil wells, and Kharg Island for complete destruction. He also mentioned that desalination facilities were being considered as potential targets.
Trump emphasized that throughout the five-week conflict, U.S. forces deliberately avoided strikes on civilian and energy infrastructure. However, the uncertainty surrounding the balance between military action and negotiations has created pressure on both political dynamics and economic markets, as all sides await the outcome of ongoing talks.
Cryptocurrency market surges amid liquidation wave
Following the statements, the cryptocurrency markets saw a marked surge. Bitcoin’s price climbed above $67,600, representing a 1.3 percent appreciation over 24 hours. Ether posted the strongest gains, jumping 3.1 percent during the same period, while Solana rose by 1.9 percent. XRP also moved up by 1 percent, reaching $1.35. Despite these daily gains, Bitcoin lost 1.3 percent, XRP slipped 1.2 percent, and Solana fell 2.2 percent on a weekly basis. In contrast, Tron led the pack with a 1.3 percent rise in the last 24 hours and a 5.3 percent increase over the week.
During the rally, short positions in the market were squeezed significantly. Data from CoinGlass showed that in just the past hour, $9.32 million of short positions were liquidated, whereas losses on long positions were limited to $207,000.
Over the last 24 hours, a total of $340 million worth of positions were liquidated across all cryptocurrencies. The largest portion of these liquidations – $242.25 million – occurred during heavy selling in the overnight trading session, just before Trump’s comments. The single largest liquidation was a $9.8 million BTCUSD position on the Bybit exchange.
Trump indicated that military options remain on the table and that, should negotiations fail, Iran’s energy and civilian infrastructure may be targeted.
This mix of potential ceasefire hopes, leadership changes in Tehran, and the specter of renewed military threats contributed to a volatile environment in global markets. The simultaneous presence of both diplomatic efforts and military warnings left traders and investors grappling with lingering uncertainty around future price movements.
As both political statements and market signals interplay, the outlook for the region, and for digital assets like Bitcoin, hinges on the continued evolution of Washington-Tehran exchanges and any concrete steps toward either conflict de-escalation or escalation. The coming days remain pivotal for both diplomatic and financial developments.
