United States President Donald Trump told Israel’s Channel 12 on Tuesday that Iran can’t have nuclear weapons and missiles, reiterating his readiness to take military action if the negotiations with Tehran fail. “The Iranians really want to make a deal. Either we make a deal, or we have to do something very tough – like last time,” the US president stressed, referring to the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June last year.
More to come…
Iran’s Atomic Chief Mohammad Eslami said that Tehran was open to reducing its uranium enrichment levels to 60% in exchange for the complete lifting of sanctions, as reported by the Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA) on Friday. According to the outlet, Eslami told reporters that the proposal was totally dependent on whether or not all sanctions against Iran are lifted as part of the negotiations. He also spoke on the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) role, stating that although Iran still cooperates with the agency, it still has “an unfulfilled obligation” regarding a military attack on sites that are protected by the agency. “If we are under the Agency’s supervision and hold its certification of credibility, then it cannot remain silent about what happened,” he said.
The prices of oil futures gained ground on Monday, rising more than 3%, as geopolitical tensions across the globe seemingly increased supply concerns. The United States and Iran were in the forefront, with Washington previously sending an advisory to US-flagged ships, warning them to stay “as far as possible” from Iranian territory while going through the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman. In addition, the European Union (EU) recently announced that when it comes to tightening sanctions on Russian oil, it plans to discard the price cap limitations and introduce a ban on maritime services. The West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for March deliveries shot up 3.60% at 12:32 pm ET, going for $64.82 per barrel. A minute later, Brent for April settlements jumped 3.35%, selling at $69.39 a barrel.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi insisted on Sunday that his country is not intimidated by the United States increasing its military presence in the Middle East. Speaking at a forum in Tehran, Araghchi stressed that Iran will not give up its nuclear program, even if a conflict “is imposed on us” as it is its right. “Iran has paid a very heavy price for its peaceful nuclear program and for uranium enrichment,” he noted. Araghchi’s comments came after another round of negotiations with the US on Iran’s nuclear status. Afterward, he said that Tehran is ready for peace, but also for a conflict with the US.
The Reuters Gulf Currents newsletter brings you the latest on geopolitics, energy and finance in the region. Sign up here. While Araqchi said no date had yet been set for the next round of negotiations, U.S. President Donald Trump said they could take place early next week. “We and Washington believe it should be held soon,” Araqchi said. Trump has threatened to strike Iran after a U.S. naval buildup in the region, demanding that it renounce uranium enrichment, a possible pathway to nuclear bombs, as well as stopping ballistic missile development and support for armed groups around the region. Tehran has long denied any intent to weaponise nuclear fuel production. While both sides have indicated readiness to revive diplomacy over Tehran’s long-running nuclear dispute with the West, Araqchi balked at widening the talks out. “Any dialogue requires refraining from threats and pressure. (Tehran) only discusses its nuclear issue … We do not discuss any other issue with the U.S.,” he said. Last June, the U.S. bombed Iranian nuclear facilities, joining in the final stages of a 12-day Israeli bombing campaign. Tehran has since said it has halted uranium enrichment activity. Its response at the time included a missile attack on a U.S. base in Qatar, which maintains good relations with both Tehran and Washington. In the event of a new U.S. attack, Araqchi said the consequences could be similar. “It would not be possible to attack American soil, but we will target their bases in the region,” he said. “We will not attack neighbouring countries; rather, we will target U.S. bases stationed in them. There is a big difference between the two.” Iran says it wants recognition of its right to enrich uranium, and that putting its missile programme on the negotiating table would leave it vulnerable to Israeli attacks
NN: This is called playing a losing hand. And Iran is flirting with the end of the Ayatollah reign of terror. Its simple move the US assets as in fly the planes off the venerable bases. This is coming to a head.
Hedge funds turned the most bullish on Brent crude since early April as traders hedged against the risk of a military conflict between the US and Iran and potential supply disruptions from the OPEC member. Money managers increased their net-long stance on Brent crude by 31,332 lots to 278,249 lots in the week ended Feb. 3, the highest in nearly 10 months, data from ICE Futures Europe show. Bullish bets on US West Texas Intermediate oil also rose to a six-month high, according to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Persistent tensions between the US and Iran have driven investors to raise bullish bets on both benchmarks for four consecutive weeks. The two countries appeared to square off at sea and in the air on Tuesday, reviving a risk premium that eventually ebbed as plans for nuclear talks took shape.
Hedge funds increased long bets amid Iran-US tensions
The sustained bullishness was also reflected deeper within the options market and beyond. WTI bullish call options settled at their biggest premium to bearish puts since 2022 at one point this week, while a major oil-linked exchange-traded product saw its biggest inflow since 2020.
United States President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing a 25% duty on “any country” that “directly or indirectly” purchases, imports, or acquires goods and services from Iran. Furthermore, Trump stated that the executive order may be modified in case foreign nations decide to retaliate against the new tariff. The measure comes amid Washington’s increased pressure against Iran and shortly after negotiations about the Middle Eastern country’s nuclear program in Oman. The new levy could affect nations such as China, a major importer of Iranian oil.
On February 6, 2026, the U.S. Treasury and State Department sanctioned 15 entities, 2 individuals, and 14 vessels for their involvement in shipping Iranian oil. This action targeted Iran’s “shadow fleet” and aimed to disrupt the funding of destabilizing activities. The sanctions focus on blocking these vessels and companies from facilitating Iranian oil exports. This move also highlights ongoing U.S. efforts to curtail Iran’s oil trade.
The Department of State is sanctioning 15 entities, two individuals, and 14 shadow fleet vessels connected to the illicit trade in Iranian petroleum, petroleum products, and petrochemical products. These targets have generated revenue that the regime uses to conduct its malign activities.
Instead of investing in the welfare of its own people and crumbling infrastructure, the Iranian regime continues to fund destabilizing activities around the world and step up its repression inside Iran.
So long as Iranian regime attempts to evade sanctions and generate oil and petrochemical revenues to fund such oppressive behavior and support terrorist activities and proxies, the United States will act to hold both the Iranian regime and its partners accountable.
The President is committed to driving down the Iranian regime’s illicit oil and petrochemical exports under the Administration’s maximum pressure campaign.
All Department of State targets are being designated pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13846, which authorizes and reimposes certain sanctions with respect to Iran, and in furtherance of President Trump’s National Security Presidential Memorandum 2. For more information, please see the Department’s Fact Sheet and Treasury’s Press Releases.
A new round of indirect nuclear talks between the US and Iran in the Omani capital Muscat concluded, Iranian state TV IRIB reported on Friday.Following negotiations between delegations led by US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi (pictured left), the latter told reporters that the talks were “positive” and that the parties had decided to continue negotiations. He added that the precise timing and location of the next round are still to be decided. “These consultations focused on creating the right conditions for the resumption of diplomatic and technical negotiations, while emphasizing the importance of these talks, given the parties’ commitment to their success in achieving lasting security and stability,” Iranian state-affiliated news agency Tasnim elaborated on the subject.
Bitcoin rebounded sharply on Friday, reversing a recent selloff that had dragged the token below $70,000 for the first time since 2024, as investors appeared to look past earlier doubts about crypto’s role. The move suggests improving risk appetite after days of caution driven by geopolitical and macroeconomic tensions. The jump also comes as investors move away from precious metals, which resumed their decline, sliding around 10% toward the $65 level after a brief attempt to stabilize following historic losses. At 1:03 am ET, Bitcoin, the world’s most famous cryptocurrency, soared 6.11%, trading at $66,591.700, while Ether gained 7.66% at $1,962.8917.
NN: For the record we took another 32K last night closing out for the 3rd time $100,000 We will be selling again soon. I want to give the dippers another chance to “by the bottom”
By the way the famous crypto cheerleaders are suffering horrific losses. Tom Lee’s BitMine Immersion Technologies reported a large net loss of over 9 billion dollars recently, mainly due to the crash in their Ethereum holdings.
BitMine Immersion Technologies reported a large net loss of about 5.2 billion dollars recently, mainly due to swings in their Ethereum holdings. They hold around 4.2 million Ethereum tokens, which is about 3.5 percent of Ethereum’s supply. Their stock has been very volatile, and while they had a profitable period last year, the recent losses are tied closely to the crypto market’s moves. In short, their performance depends heavily on Ethereum’s value.
The crypto market in 2026 has seen large losses, with overall values down by 25 to 40 percent. Bitcoin and Ethereum have both dropped significantly. Coinbase’s stock is down about 45 percent in the last three months, and while some crypto funds have seen around 9 to 18 percent losses recently, detailed fund-by-fund returns are not fully public yet. Overall, the sector is facing a difficult period, and many crypto funds are likely underwater this year
This is just a sampling of the massive loses. I believe the loses are much higher because of massive leverage and i believe they are un funded
Bitcoin tumbled below $70,000 as the unwinding of leveraged bets and broader market turbulence deepened a selloff that has wiped out all of the gains since President Donald Trump’s election set off a speculative rush into cryptocurrencies. The token fell as much as 8.6% Thursday to $66,364, the lowest since October 2024, before steading around $67,000 by the middle of the trading day in New York. The rout has erased nearly half of Bitcoin’s value since it reached a record four months ago and has spread to other tokens, related ETFs and companies like Strategy Inc. that hold vast sums of coins. Bitcoin trades below $70,000 for the first time since November of 2024. A selloff has wiped out all of Bitcoin’s gains since the election of President Donald Trump. Bloomberg’s Muyao Shen reports. The downturn has marked an abrupt retreat from Bitcoin’s meteoric rise through much of last year, when the return of the crypto-friendly Republican to the White House sent investors piling into such tokens and the Wall Street vehicles that have sprouted up around them. The market started cracking this month as rising geopolitical tensions sent tremors across global financial markets and curbed risk taking. That sparked Bitcoin’s precipitous decline from mid-January and set off a self-reinforcing cycle of selling as funds liquidated assets to meet redemptions and unwind leveraged bets.
“The fear and uncertainty across the market is evident,” said Chris Newhouse, head of business development at Ergonia. “Without conviction-based buyers willing to lean into the selling, each wave of ETF redemptions and liquidation cascades.” He said that’s “amplifying the magnitude of each leg lower and reinforcing the defensive positioning that’s keeping organic demand on the sidelines.”
Largest token’s decline leads significant market wipeout since October peak
The slide has echoes of the one in 2022, when prices retreated sharply from the surge seen during the easy-money era of the pandemic as the Federal Reserve tightened monetary policy. It has already taken a toll on intermediaries like the exchanges Coinbase Global Inc., whose shares have tumbled more than 30% this year, and Gemini Space Station Inc., which said it plans to cut up to 25% of its workforce and wind down operations in the UK, European Union and Australia. This time, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are also seeing competition from other forms of speculation, like legalized sport gambling and prediction-market wagering on everything from politics to entertainment. At the same time, retail flow continues to chase zero-day options in equities and higher-yield crypto plays across decentralized exchanges. The latest drop comes as digital assets face continued doubts about their real-world use, as well. Once touted as an inflation hedge or a rival to gold or the US dollar as a stable store of value, Bitcoin has continued to trade more like a high-risk asset and has failed to serve as a haven during times of financial market stress. In fact, its growing presence in institutional portfolios has at times made it more vulnerable to broad de-risking, particularly during bouts of volatility in tech equities and precious metals, like what has been seen in recent weeks.
“Despite prayers to the other side, crypto-market sentiment continues to hit new lows as the space is a crisis of narrative,” said Augustine Fan, partner at Hong Kong-based crypto options platform SignalPlus.
Inflows into US spot-Bitcoin ETFs had acted as a leg of support for much of 2025 as tens of billions of dollars flowed into the products and helped buoy the token’s price. But those flows have reversed as prices have plummeted — and about $2 billion has come out of Bitcoin ETFs over the past month alone, data compiled by Bloomberg show. The figure is even starker when looked at over the past three months, with more than $5 billion yanked out. The meltdown of the largest cryptocurrency has rippled through the digital-asset world, with smaller, less liquid speculative tokens down even more. The MarketVector Digital Assets 100 Small-Cap Index, which tracks the 50 smallest digital assets in a basket of 100, has plummeted around 70% over the past year. Traders have become increasingly defensive in the options market, with a surge in demand for downside protection around $70,000. Medium-term contracts such as those expiring in late June are pointing to an even more bearish outlook on token prices with the most open interest clustered around $60,000 and $20,000, according to Deribit. Ilan Solot, senior global markets strategist at Marex, said the recent selloff has been fueled by several factors, including the downturn in some tech stocks, the outperformance of gold, the broader risk-off sentiment and general questions about the framework for evaluating the value of cryptocurrencies. “The outlook is probably still bearish for now, but the worst might be behind us,” he said. “Still, these types of moves have historically always been buying opportunities for multi-year investors and many will see it that way.”