United States President Donald Trump said on Sunday that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s earlier remarks were unsurprising. “Why wouldn’t he say that? Of course he is going to say that. We have the biggest, most powerful ships in the world over there, very close,” Trump told reporters, referring to Khamenei’s warning about the “regional conflict.” Furthermore, the US president expressed hope that the two countries would reach an agreement regarding the nuclear program. “If we don’t make a deal, we’ll find out whether or not he was right,” he remarked.
Khamenei: If US attacks, it will turn into ‘regional’ war
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned on Sunday that any military action by the United States against Iran would turn into a “regional” conflict. “We are not initiators of war, and do not want to attack any country – but the Iranian people will strike strongly anyone who attacks it,” Khamenei threatened, according to Iran’s state media. Meanwhile, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee stated earlier that US President Donald Trump “doesn’t make empty threats.”
NN: I think its past time for Trump to call Khomeini’s bluff
US envoy on Iran: Trump will keep his promise
United States Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said that US President Donald Trump “doesn’t make empty threats” and that he will “keep his promise” regarding support for anti-government protesters in Iran. Earlier this year, Trump threatened to strike Iran in response to its violence and human rights abuses against the demonstrators, but later reversed course. In recent days, Trump also suggested he could attack Iran over its nuclear program. Huckabee told Israel’s Channel 12 that the decision on strikes has not been made yet. “President Trump is always hopeful for the best outcome,” he said, adding that the “ideal” scenario would be reaching a nuclear deal with Tehran. “But if he can’t, he’s not afraid to do what he proved he would do last summer,” he noted, referring to strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities, carried out in cooperation with Israel
NN:
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Bitcoin extends drop, falls 6% to below $80,000
Bitcoin slid sharply on Saturday, dipping 6% to under $80,000, as Ethereum lost over 11%. The downturn came amid renewed geopolitical unease, with traders watching escalating tensions between Iran and Western powers. This marks Bitcoin’s weakest level since April last year, when United States President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs kicked in, rattling global markets. At 12:58 pm ET, the world’s most famous cryptocurrency was trading at $78,784.476, down 6.34%, while Ether was priced at $2,399.9324, reflecting a 11.21% drop.
Iran explosions kill 5, Israel denies role
At least five people died and more than a dozen were injured in two separate blasts across Iran on Saturday, according to reports from state and local media. Israel denied any involvement in the incidents, reports said. Four fatalities followed a gas explosion inside a residential building in Ahvaz, while another incident in Bandar Abbas left one person dead and 14 injured, according to Mehr news agency. Meanwhile, Tasnim news agency rejected claims circulating online that a senior Revolutionary Guard officer was targeted, calling them “completely false.”
Saudi said to suggest US should attack Iran……Iran says nuclear program ‘cannot be eliminated
Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman warned the United States that Iran will be “emboldened” if the US decides not to strike it, Axios reported. He also allegedly denied that Saudi Arabia is turning against Israel, although one source said that “the more he said it, the less reassuring it sounded.” The report follows talks between Bin Salman and senior US officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, at the White House on Thursday. However, it claims that Bin Salman left the meeting “without a clear idea” of Washington’s plans for Iran.`
Iran says nuclear program ‘cannot be eliminated
Iranian Army Commander Major General Amir Hatami (pictured) on Saturday declared that Iran’s nuclear program “cannot be eliminated” despite pressure from the United States, AFP reported. Hatami also warned that Iran’s forces remain prepared to respond to any attack. “The nuclear science and technology of the Islamic Republic of Iran cannot be eliminated, even if scientists and sons of this nation are martyred,” he said. His remarks followed comments from US President Donald Trump, who said he expected Tehran to seek an agreement to negotiate its nuclear status.
US conducts flight ops over Arabian Sea
A US Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet launched from the USS Abraham Lincoln while conducting “routine flight operations” in the Arabian Sea, US Central Command said on Friday. The aircraft belongs to Strike Fighter Squadron 151. The USS Abraham Lincoln is deployed in the region to “support security and stability” across the Middle East, according to the statement posted on X. The post included an image of the fighter jet taking off from the carrier’s flight deck. The deployment comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran, and hours after a US Navy guided-missile destroyer arrived at Israel’s Red Sea port of Eilat.
Trump Iran Threat Pushes Oil Higher
Oil rose to a fresh four-month high after US President Donald Trump threatened another attack on Iran, urging Tehran to negotiate a nuclear deal. “Hopefully Iran will quickly ‘Come to the Table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social network, adding that “the next attack will be far worse!” than one that took place last year. The potential risk to Iranian supplies has injected a premium into oil prices and led futures to start the year on a strong footing, up more than 10% this month, despite forecasts for a glut. That has also kept the cost of bullish options high relative to bearish ones. West Texas Intermediate futures settled above $63 a barrel after Trump’s post, the highest level since the end of September, extending a 2.9% jump in the previous session. Prices eased off of intra-day highs after Iran’s mission to the UN repeated in a post on X that it stands ready for dialogue based on mutual respect and interests, but said it will “defend itself and respond like never before,” to US aggression. Further capping gains, a gauge of the dollar rebounded after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the US continues to have a “strong dollar” policy under Trump, and denied that the administration is intervening in FX markets, specifically to sell the dollar against the yen. The uptick in the dollar made commodities priced in the currency less attractive. Trump on Wednesday also said the fleet of US ships he’d ordered to the Middle East is larger than the one sent to Venezuela, where President Nicolas Maduro was outed by US forces earlier this year. There’s already been regional reaction to Trump’s signals over recent days. The Iranian and Qatari foreign ministers stressed the need to continue diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions, while Saudi Arabia’s crown prince said the kingdom’s land won’t be used to carry out operations against Tehran.
“Market sentiment appears to be gradually turning more positive, as the bearish oversupply narrative so prevalent in the second half of 2025 weakens,” Standard Chartered analysts including Emily Ashford wrote in a note. “We envisage an uptick in volatility and increasing focus on both supply and demand risks.”
The prompt spread for both oil benchmarks — the difference between their two nearest contracts — has widened in a bullish backwardation structure over the course of this month, indicating tighter supply. That gauge topped $1 for Brent on Wednesday. On the physical front, a government report showed that US crude stockpiles fell 2.3 million barrels last week, markedly higher than forecast by a closely-followed industry report. That bullish data point was offset by increases in refined product stockpiles, with gasoline rising to the highest since 2020.
Oil climbs 1.5% amid geopolitical tensions
Crude oil prices rose 1.5% on Thursday, as investors assessed the latest developments on the geopolitical front that might disrupt the oil supply. Yesterday, United States President Donald Trump issued another threat to Iran, claiming that the next possible strike on Tehran would be “far worse” in comparison to the June attack, raising concerns about supply risks. Meanwhile, Iran declared that the country’s army is prepared, “with their fingers on the trigger,” to respond if provoked. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for settlements in March increased by 1.57% at 3:33 am ET, going for $64.20 per barrel. At the same time, Brent for deliveries in March went up by 1.45% to go for $69.39 per barrel.
NN: We all know what i think!
Gold up 4% after hitting new all-time high of $5,596
Prices of the most valuable precious metals continued their rally on Thursday, breaking records and nearing the $6,000 mark. The yellow metal’s rise follows the decline in the US dollar, which has lost 13.1% against the euro over the last 12 months, reaching levels not seen in almost four and a half years. Gold jumped 4.01% to $5,592.10 per ounce at 1:22 am ET, after reaching a new all-time high of $5,596,28 earlier in the session.
Silver rises by over 3% to new all-time high of $120
The price of silver surged to an all-time high on Thursday, surpassing $120 per ounce. Investors once again turned to precious metals as a haven after the United States Federal Reserve decided to hold its interest rates steady. Moreover, Chair Jerome Powell indicated that the institution is unlikely to cut rates at its next meeting.
Silver jumped by 3.07% to $120.00 per ounce at 1:39 am ET, just moments after hitting the record-high of $120.46. Meanwhile, gold also reached a new all-time high of $5,596,28 per ounce; it traded 3.87% higher at $5,584.29 per ounce at 1:42 am ET. Platinum soared by 1.60% at 1:43 am ET to $2,718.01 per ounce. At the same time, palladium rose by 1.29% to $2,045.24 per ounce.
