Trump’s Dooms Day Deadline For Iran Arrives: Will Bitcoin Price and SPX Dump or Will Trump Blink?
Bitcoin Price is trading at $68,500, as Trump’s April 7 Iran deadline arrives and the crypto market refuses to flinch. The White House has held its ‘no extension’ posture, demanding Iran open the Strait of Hormuz under threat of strikes on civilian infrastructure, and markets are not pricing in catastrophe. The S&P 500 is mirroring the same wait-and-see tension, with BTC-SPX correlation tightening into a binary: geopolitical escalation triggers a correlated dump, or Trump blinks and both assets rip higher. Spot Bitcoin ETFs logged $471 million in inflows over the past 24 hours – the strongest single-day figure in 30 days – suggesting institutions are not running for the exits. On-chain data from CryptoQuant shows significant exchange outflows in the window before the deadline, consistent with whale accumulation rather than distribution. The market is not calling this a crisis. It is calling a bluff. The mechanism here is straightforward: a US strike on Iranian infrastructure triggers an oil supply shock, energy inflation re-accelerates, the Fed’s rate-cut timeline extends, and risk assets – Bitcoin and equities both – reprice lower. That’s the dump scenario, and it’s not subtle. The S&P 500 would absorb the inflation signal as a tightening catalyst; Bitcoin, still running elevated BTC-SPX correlation, would follow equities into a risk-off unwind. The de-escalation path runs the opposite direction. If Trump blinks – grants an extension, accepts back-channel terms, or downgrades the threat – oil pulls back, rate-cut expectations firm up, and the path of least resistance for both BTC and SPX turns higher. Geopolitical risk premium drains out of energy hedges and back into growth and risk assets. Bitcoin, already holding $69,000 under maximum headline pressure, would have room to accelerate toward $72,000-$75,000. Iran’s stated counter-threat, ramping up attacks on Persian Gulf energy sites if struck – introduces tail risk that neither equities nor crypto are fully pricing. That asymmetry is worth holding in mind. The market’s current read is ‘contained.’ History doesn’t always agree with that read in the first 48 hours of an escalation. Bitcoin at $69,140 is sitting directly at the level that has defined the cycle’s contested zone since late 2025. Immediate support rests at $66,500 – the 50-day moving average – and a clean break below that level opens the $64,000-$65,000 range, where the 200-day MA currently sits. That $66,500 level is load-bearing. Lose it on a geopolitical shock and the technical structure deteriorates fast. On the upside, $72,000 is the first meaningful resistance – the ceiling from the March consolidation range. A sustained hold above $69,500 through the deadline resolution sets up a test of that level. Above $72,000, the next target is $75,000, which analysts have flagged as the make-or-break level for the broader April macro setup. RSI is running at approximately 52 – not overbought, not oversold. The setup reads like a coiled compression, not a topping pattern. Bull case activates on a confirmed hold above $69,500 post-deadline with ETF inflows sustaining above $300 million daily – target $75,000 within five to seven sessions. Bear case activates on a geopolitical escalation event that breaks $66,500 on volume – in that scenario, $64,000 becomes the first support that actually matters. Until one of those conditions materializes, the $66,500 level is the only number traders need to watch. #Dogecoin #gonnarich #haroonahmadofficial #jasmyustd #Kriptocutrader
CPI Data Countdown: Why the April 10 Print Is Make or Break for Bitcoin’s $75K Push
Bitcoin is consolidating just below $70,000 with one scheduled event this week capable of breaking the pattern in either direction: the March CPI print dropping April 10 at 8:30 AM ET. The binary is clean, if U.S. inflation data comes in soft enough to shift Federal Reserve language toward cuts, BTC $75K becomes an immediate technical target; if core CPI stays sticky above 0.3% month-over-month, the “higher for longer” scenario reasserts itself, and the path of least resistance points back toward $60,000–$62,000. The Cleveland Fed’s nowcast – built on late-March data – projects a 0.84% monthly headline surge driven by gasoline prices up 26.2% year-over-year and diesel up 50.4%. That reading, if confirmed, would mark a sharp acceleration from February’s 0.27% headline and would effectively freeze any Federal Reserve pivot conversation through at least mid-summer. Macro crypto trading desks are already pricing two radically different worlds into options flow. Thursday’s print decides which one we’re in. Bitcoin is currently rangebound between $65,000 and $71,000, a compression zone that has held for several weeks and is coiling into what chart structure suggests is a decision point. The $73,700 level above is the immediate overhead resistance; above that is the $75,000 psychological ceiling, which has acted as a load-bearing level since BTC’s last failed breakout attempt. A weekly close above $75,000 on CPI-driven volume would be the first structural confirmation that the bull case is intact. RSI on the daily is sitting near 53 – neutral, not oversold, which means there’s no technical floor being built from momentum exhaustion alone. The 200-day EMA is converging with the $67,500 support zone, making that level load-bearing in the near term. A daily close below $67,500 opens the door to $62,000, where significant order book depth and prior accumulation structure sit. MVRV ratio remains below 1.5, suggesting the market hasn’t reached the euphoria zone – but that also means on-chain buying pressure isn’t yet dominant enough to generate self-sustaining momentum. The bull case requires a CPI-triggered risk-on move through $71,000, then a reclaim of $73,700 on sustained volume, with $75,000 as the confirming close. The bear case activates on a hot print: a rejection at $71,000 that cascades back through the 200-day EMA and targets the $60,000–$62,000 whale accumulation zone. For traders already holding, the downside scenario below $66,000 deserves serious risk modeling before Thursday. The single most important level: $71,000. Hold it post-print and the bull case lives. Lose it and $62,000 becomes the next anchor. The Bitcoin CPI relationship isn’t incidental – it’s mechanical. CPI drives Fed rate expectations, rate expectations drive the dollar and treasury yields, and dollar strength directly compresses institutional appetite for risk assets, including BTC. February’s CPI landed at 2.4% year-over-year with core holding at 2.5% annually for the second consecutive month, driven by shelter costs rising 0.2%. That stickiness kept “higher for longer” as the dominant Fed posture heading into April’s data cycle. The threshold that matters for a Federal Reserve pivot signal is a core monthly reading at or below 0.2% – anything above 0.3% entrenches current policy and delays the first cut. CME FedWatch currently prices fewer than two cuts for 2025, a dramatic repricing from the four-cut consensus that opened the year. Energy is the wild card: the Cleveland Fed’s nowcast is being driven almost entirely by gasoline and diesel spikes, and the Fed has historically looked through volatile energy components when assessing underlying inflation trends. If headline runs hot but core stays controlled, traders may interpret that as a conditional green light. March payrolls added 178,000 jobs, with unemployment holding at 4.3% – a labor market that doesn’t scream imminent recession and therefore gives the Fed cover to hold. The April 10 U.S. inflation data release won’t just move Bitcoin on the day; it will recalibrate the entire rate-cut timeline that institutional crypto positioning is built on Spot Bitcoin ETF inflows from BlackRock’s IBIT and Fidelity’s FBTC have shown direct sensitivity to CPI beats and misses – a hot print tightens that inflow tap immediately. #ETHETFsApproved #Robertkiyosaki #TrendingTopic #Yazdan #Uniswap’s
Corsair’s custom PC case builder is fun, but the math doesn’t add up
I love PC building because I love customization. It’s one of the big reasons to build your own desktop, along with upgradeability and cost savings… though that latter point is out the window right now. Anyway, Corsair is leaning into the custom angle with its latest online “builder” tool, this time for the ubiquitous Frame 4000D ATX case. It’s a smart move. The 4000D is a fine case, but it’s essentially just a box—no crazy curves, no over-the-top elements. Corsair has seemingly been modifying the design for years, as exemplified by the side bracket for that display you can add to an otherwise mundane enclosure. But I’m getting ahead of myself If you’ve played around with other online customization tools—like Corsair’s own K65 Plus keyboard builder or Framework’s laptops—you know what to expect here. It starts with the bare frame, either black or white. Then you get a lot more variety in the front panel, which comes in a dozen options. You get classy wood (already out of stock!), flat or slightly frosted glass, or an RGB-bedecked airflow option. The motherboard tray gets only five choices: basic white or black, a slightly upgraded “rapid route” punchhole version of each (which doesn’t seem like a back-to-front design, just a little more stylish… for something that sits under your motherboard? Okay), or “Elite Meteorite Aluminum.” That’s an $80 upgrade, which only has anodization as a reason for the extra price. Boo. The next bit is my favorite practical choice: the PSU cover. You get a standard full-length barrier between the lower portion of the case interior and the motherboard area, in black or white. But for $15 you can upgrade to a “compact” shroud, a little cubby for the power supply that leaves a shelf free towards the front. I get the feeling that’ll be a popular option for those who want upgraded cooling… or those who just want to stick a Gundam in that spot to be extra. Either way it’s neat, though the compact shroud might interfere with some side panel options. You get a couple of choices for front I/O, again, reminding me of the Framework Desktop. For $20 to $25, you can get three USB-C ports instead of a 2/1 split, and which one you want will depend on what gadgets you plug in on a regular basis. The side panel is where I think a lot of the crunchy customizers will pay attention. You get glass options, with one covering just the motherboard (the PSU area gets a metal airflow shroud) and the other being the full side of the case. You can go with classic full steel if you want the stealth look, in black or white. And for something more deluxe, mounting brackets for side air intakes and Corsair’s LCD add-on are available. The final section is just extra hardware. This is where you add on the Xeneon Edge touchscreen, or a trio of color-matched fans, plus a “QuickTurn Screw Pack.” It’s worth noting that these additional hardware options don’t come at a discount—they’re exactly the same prices you’d pay for the components separately. Since even my fairly basic 4000D build came in at over $200, that’s discouraging. I should also note that all the upgrades and extras in this builder come as separate pieces to install on a bog-standard 4000D frame, even the ones that are crucial like the motherboard tray or front I/O. You aren’t saving any build time with this tool—in fact, you’re probably adding some. Overall, I like the options on display here, though I’m not in love with the price. It’s very cool that it looks like all of these Frame pieces are also available as separate purchases on Corsair’s store, so you could start with a basic 4000D and upgrade as you go when you want to change things up (or when your budget allows). #PEPEATH #OopsieDaisy #IONToken #UnicornChannel #YourFavoriteInfluencer
Sony’s best noise-cancelling headphones are $152 off right now
At $248, the Sony WH-1000XM5 is a compelling buy for anyone who wants best-in-class ANC without paying full retail price. One of the things I love most in the world is listening to music. I do it while working, walking, working out, reading, cooking… When you want to drown out the world, you do it with something like the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones, and they’re currently on sale for $248 at Amazon (down from their original $400 price). These headphones are widely considered among the best in their class. Our friends at TechAdvisor reviewed them and gave ’em a clean 5-star rating, impressed by their build quality, noise cancellation, and refined sound. It earned their Editors’ Choice award. Like all Sony headphones, these were built for dedicated music lovers and workers who want to shut out the world around them. The WH-1000XM5 uses two processors and eight microphones to help achieve perfect noise cancellation, blocking out disturbances. When taking calls, these headphones feature four integrated beamforming microphones, so you’ll be heard perfectly. A single charge will give you about 30 hours of continuous playback, while a quick three-minute charge before leaving for work will give you an additional three hours of listening time. The Sony WH-1000XM5 is a clear winner, doubly so for $248 now at Amazon. For comfortable noise cancellation, it doesn’t get better. #CZonTBPNInterview #FedNomineeHearingDelay #UNIUSDT #NOTCOİN #kdmrcrypto
Iran war: What is happening on day 42 of US-Israeli attacks?
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he has ordered officials to begin direct negotiations with Lebanon “as soon as possible”, citing requests from Beirut as tensions remain high despite a broader regional ceasefire. Lebanon declared a day of mourning on Thursday after Israeli attacks killed at least 200 people and wounded more than 1,000 in a single day. Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said the strikes violated the US-Iran ceasefire and warned that they threatened to undermine negotiations, adding that Tehran would not abandon Lebanon US President Donald Trump said American forces will remain around Iran until a “real agreement” is fully enforced, warning of further conflict if not. Israel issues evacuation order for Beirut: Israel’s military warned residents of Beirut’s southern suburbs, long a stronghold of Lebanese group Hezbollah, of imminent strikes and called for them to evacuate their homes Strikes continue as ground offensive expands: Air raids go on with drones flying low over Beirut. Israeli forces are advancing to encircle Bint Jbeil, a town of 30,000 people in southern Lebanon Humanitarian concerns grow: Medical facilities in Lebanon are treating hundreds of patients and sheltering thousands of displaced people Hezbollah: Netanyahu said Israel would keep hitting Hezbollah “wherever necessary”. “We are continuing to strike Hezbollah with force, precision and determination,” the prime minister said on his personal X account Iraq: The US deputy secretary of state summoned Iraq’s ambassador after a drone struck a major US diplomatic site in Baghdad #CZonTBPNInterview #freedomofmoney #PolygonFunding #CZReleasedMemeoir #EthereumFoundationETHSaleForOperations
Netanyahu says US-Iran ceasefire ‘does not include Lebanon’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has expressed support for the United States’ decision to suspend strikes on Iran, but said the two-week truce will not extend to Israel’s ongoing military operations in Lebanon. In a statement on X on Wednesday, Netanyahu said Israel backed US President Donald Trump’s efforts to ensure “Iran no longer poses a nuclear, missile and terror threat to America, Israel, Iran’s Arab neighbors and the world”. Netanyahu’s statement came after Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that the US, Iran and their allies “have agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere, including Lebanon and elsewhere”. But the two-week ceasefire “does not include Lebanon”, he said. The Lebanese army on Wednesday warned people against returning to the country’s south. Lebanon’s National News Agency, meanwhile, said the Israeli military continued to carry out attacks on southern parts of the country. Israeli forces bombed the southern town of Srifa in Tyre region, and also issued an evacuation warning for a building near the town. Lebanon was drawn into the US and Israel’s war on Iran on March 2 after Tehran-aligned Hezbollah launched attacks on Israel. In light of regional developments and reports circulating about a ceasefire, [the army] urges citizens to wait before returning to southern villages and towns and to avoid approaching areas where Israeli occupation forces have advanced… since they may be exposing themselves to the ongoing Israeli attacks,” the army said in a statement. Lebanon was drawn into the US a That truce was agreed after more than a year of cross-border fire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah fighters following Israel’s launch of its genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023 Hezbollah said the attacks were in retaliation for Israel’s killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the first day of the war, on February 28, as well as Israel’s near-daily violations of a ceasefire it agreed to in Lebanon in November 2024. According to Lebanese authorities, Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed more than 1,500 people since March 2 and displaced more than 1.2 million. The Israeli military has also launched an invasion of southern Lebanon and said it aims to seize more territory for what it calls a buffer zone There has been no immediate comment from Hezbollah or the Lebanese government on Netanyahu’s announcement Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr, reporting from the Lebanese capital, Beirut, said Hezbollah’s entry into the US-Israel war on Iran expanded the conflict and bogged Israel down on multiple fronts Hezbollah’s calculation is that it has more political leverage when it joins Iran in possible negotiations, because Hezbollah has been criticising the Lebanese government for failing to get Israel to agree to the terms of the last ceasefire back in 2024,” she said In addition to the near-daily attacks, Israel had refused to withdraw from southern Lebanon or release detainees or allow displaced people to return to their homes, Khodr noted The question now, she said, is whether the Israel-Hezbollah front will be discussed in the upcoming negotiations between Iran and the US Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam “himself says he believes that Iran has been running the military campaign that Hezbollah has launched in southern Lebanon and that’s why the negotiations over the next two weeks will be critical and crucial for Lebanon,” Khodr said “Because at the end of the day, Israel wants security guarantees. And that is something the Lebanese government, the Lebanese state cannot give,” she added #cryptouniverseofficial #VeChainNodeMarketplace #BinanceHerYerde #NOTCOİN #MegadropLista
Iran, US both claim victory, but did they actually concede ground?
Iran and the United States have both claimed victory in their conflict as they both accepted a two-week ceasefire just before US President Donald Trump’s apocalyptic deadline to obliterate Iranian “civilisation” if Tehran did not agree to a deal. At least 2,076 people have died in US-Israel strikes on Iran that began on February 28, and thousands of others have been killed across the region. The war has also disrupted global energy supplies, stranding oil tankers and causing prices to shoot up in what’s being called the biggest shock to the industry in history. Trump, in a Tuesday post on Truth Social, said the US would suspend bombing Iran after receiving a 10-point ceasefire proposal that he said was “workable”. The US president added that “almost all of the various points of past contention have been agreed to”. also said it will allow ships to begin to move through the Strait of Hormuz, even as some in the country have angrily denounced their government’s bowing to pressure. Both sides are expected to continue Pakistan-mediated talks in Islamabad from Friday. But despite the formal bluster, both the US and Iran appear to have shifted from some of their earlier stated red lines to agree to Tuesday’s deal. Those sticking points could reemerge to complicate the upcoming talks, analysts say. Here’s what we know about what they both wanted and what concessions have been made so far: The reason for doing so is that we have already met and exceeded all Military objectives, and are very far along with a definitive Agreement concerning Longterm PEACE with Iran, and PEACE in the Middle East…a two week period will allow the Agreement to be finalized and consummated,” Trump posted. The US president did not immediately confirm if US negotiators would be in Islamabad. For Trump, the big achievement is to have Iran agree to negotiate after his escalating threats,” Chris Featherstone, a political scientist at the University of York, told Al Jazeera. “He is presenting this as a success, but he will need to achieve some form of concession from Iran to be able to present this as a success in the longer term,” he said Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Iran would also cease “defensive operations” if attacks on the country are halted, and that Iran’s armed forces would allow safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Many in Iran, however, have expressed anger and fault Tehran for responding to a ceasefire deal, as distrust for the US has soared in the country, say analysts. The pessimism in Iran is probably more than in any other place because we’ve been attacked two times in the middle of negotiations,” Foad Izadi, a professor at the University of Tehran, told Al Jazeera. He was referring to the US’s bombing of Iran during last June’s 12-day war alongside Israel, and the US-Israeli strikes on February 28th. Both escalations came as negotiations were ongoing As both sides are expected to begin what will likely be tough negotiations on Friday, analysts are speculating over what final concessions either side might be prepared to make and what issues will be non-starters. At least one of Iran’s demands has been flagged as a no-go area for Washington: ending the US military presence in the Middle East. The US has maintained a military presence in the region for more than 65 years. As many as 50,000 US troops are stationed across 19 sites in several countries, not including the thousands more troops called up amid the Iran war. Iran has argued that those bases proved to be a liability for Gulf countries during the war, some analysts say, as they became targets of Tehran’s ire, as it lashed out in heavy retaliatory strikes. Still, “these countries are all sovereign countries, they make their own decisions”, Izadi of the University of Tehran said. “The experience our southern neighbours had with US bases was not good,” he noted. “But that particular concept [of the US leaving] is something that the independent governments in the Persian Gulf have to make for their own selves #Altcoins! #satoshiNakamato #devcripto #FactCheck #tobeempire
LA28 Olympics opens ticket sales globally after record local demand
Ticket sales for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics have opened globally after what organisers said was a record-setting first week of local presales, underscoring strong early demand for a Games that must rely heavily on private revenue. LA28 said it sold more tickets in the first week than any previous Olympic Games had in their opening week, with every ticket in that initial phase going to residents of the Los Angeles and Oklahoma City areas despite some complaints about high prices, fees and availability. Organisers said hundreds of thousands of $28 tickets – billed as the lowest-priced Olympic tickets in modern history – were snapped up by local buyers, although some buyers have complained about high costs and fees, and a lack of ticket availability. The success of the locals presale speaks for itself,” LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover said in a statement. “We’re thrilled by the level of interest and enthusiasm in tickets to the Games The global sales launch, known as “Drop 1,” runs through April 19 for fans who were selected through a draw and assigned time slots. Tickets are available across Olympic events, including the opening and closing ceremonies Organisers acknowledged that some fans experienced sticker shock after a marketing push around the $28 entry-level tickets, only to find many of the cheapest seats had already gone quickly or that some events were priced much higher Allison Katz-Mayfield, LA28’s senior vice president for games delivery revenue, told the Reuters news agency that outcome was not unexpected because the least expensive tickets were always likely to move fastest “We really wanted to make sure that the locals had access to the most affordable tickets, and we saw that come to life through this presale,” she said, adding that more low-cost inventory would be released in future sales phases LA28 said more than 1 million tickets priced at $28 will ultimately be made available to the public. Nearly half of all Olympic tickets are priced under $200, while more than three-quarters, including finals, are less than $400. Only about 5 percent of tickets cost more than $1,000, organisers said Katz-Mayfield said demand had exceeded expectations from the registration phase through the first sales window. She added that LA28 still had roughly a third of tickets currently on sale priced below $200 as the global launch began The organising committee is under pressure to show it can deliver a fiscally responsible Games without burdening taxpayers, who could be on the hook for cost overruns. LA28 has said its more than $7bn operation will be funded principally through ticket sales, sponsorship and hospitality Katz-Mayfield said strong ticket sales, along with sponsorship and hospitality revenue, were positive signs for the financial health of the Games LA28 also warned fans against buying from unofficial resale platforms before its verified resale programme launches in 2027, saying tickets sold elsewhere could be speculative or invalid #dogwifhat #FactCheck #hottrendingtopics #GoogleDocsMagic #KEEP_SUPPORT
CAF President Motsepe rejects Senegal’s corruption claim amid AFCON fallout
The president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has rejected accusations of corruption by the Senegalese government after the body’s shock decision to strip Senegal of its AFCON title and award it to Morocco. “If anybody wants to initiate legal action alleging that there is corruption in CAF, I don’t only welcome that, I encourage them,” said Patrice Motsepe, speaking in Morocco on Thursday. “There’s nothing to hide. We respect enormously the judicial and legal sovereignty of every single one of our 54 nations on the African continent I’m confident that whatever the decision of CAS will say, we will respect it and we will implement it,” he added, referring to the Court of Arbitration for Sport Motsepe’s visit comes at a particularly tense time for CAF following its surprise decision to overturn Senegal’s 1-0 win against host-nation Morocco in the Africa Cup of Nations final on January 18. CAF cited regulations about leaving the field as it recorded a 3-0 victory in Morocco’s favour on March 17 During the match, Senegalese players, along with head coach Pape Thiaw and his staff, walked off the pitch in Rabat after Morocco were awarded an added-time penalty, which forward Brahim Diaz ultimately missed The Senegalese Football Federation has appealed CAF’s decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) The decision has sparked a strong response by Senegal, whose government has called for an international investigation into suspected corruption within the institution #PEPEATH #OopsieDaisy #IDKwhatIamdoing #UnicornChannel #yasirazam
China probes ‘malicious’ cyberbullying of teen diving champion Quan
Chinese swimming authorities say they have launched an investigation into cyberbullying of diving champion Quan Hongchan, a three-time Olympic gold medallist, and reported the matter to police. Malicious” online attacks against Quan are being investigated by China’s General Administration of Sport, the body said on Wednesday. Quan, who won her first gold at Tokyo 2020 at the age of 14 and two more at the following games in Paris 2024, has given several interviews in which she talked about toxic online commentary over her weight and the immense pressure she has felt to diet even though she was already eating very little. Now 19, Quan told Chinese magazine Renwu this year that she seriously considered retiring after the Paris Olympics before deciding she wanted to keep going. After the Olympics I actually thought about retiring,” she said. Quan said that she had been asked repeatedly about her weight. During that time, not just within the team but also in public opinion outside, I saw people every day saying I was fat,” Quan said. “Recently cyberbullying, malicious attacks and false information targeting Quan Hongchan and other divers has emerged online,” the General Administration of Sport’s swimming management centre said in a statement. “Our centre takes this very seriously and immediately launched verification and handling work,” it said, adding that it was working with officials in the southern province of Guangdong, where Quan is from. It added that it “firmly” rejected “abnormal” fan culture Adulation towards China’s athletes has included fans obsessing over their personal lives and cyberbullying opponents State media have called such behaviour “toxic fandom” and Chinese authorities pledged to crack down on it. Quan won gold at the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Games in 2021 when she was just 14. She won two more golds in Paris in 2024 Now one of China’s most popular athletes, crowds have descended on the teenager’s hometown and mobbed her at hotels Quan’s swimming club also said on Wednesday it had “reported the case” to police “Any act of malicious slander, insult or spreading false information against athletes and their families has crossed the legal and moral line,” it added Quan has seen her home village of Maihe, part of the southern city of Zhanjiang, become a tourist destination since her Olympic success Her life has been placed under a microscope, the state-backed Global Times said in an April editorial, criticising an “unhealthy fan culture” where admiration turns into criticism, even hostility #QueencryptoNews #writetoearn #ETHETFsApproved #Robertkiyosaki #TerraLabs
Shipping in Strait of Hormuz still at a trickle despite US-Iran ceasefire
Shipping remains at a standstill in the Strait of Hormuz despite the ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran, dampening hopes for a resolution to one of the worst global energy disruptions in history Only a handful of vessels have transited the critical strait since Washington and Tehran on Tuesday announced a two-week pause in fighting, according to ship tracking data Five vessels crossed the strait on Wednesday, down from 11 the previous day, and seven transited on Thursday, according to data from market intelligence firm Kpler More than 600 vessels, including 325 tankers, are still stranded in the Gulf due to the blockage of the strait, according to Lloyd’s List Intelligence “While some vessel movement has resumed, traffic remains very limited, compliant shipowners are likely to stay cautious, and safe transit capacity is expected to remain constrained at maximum 10–15 passages a day if the ceasefire holds, without consideration of tolls applied,” Kpler trade risk analyst Ana Subasic said in an analysis on Thursday The waterway, which usually carries about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies, typically handled about 120-140 transits before the US and Israel launched their attacks on Iran on February 28 On Thursday, US President Donald Trump accused Iran of failing to live up to its part of the ceasefire agreement, which includes a commitment to allow “safe passage” through the waterway for two weeks “Iran is doing a very poor job, dishonorable some would say, of allowing Oil to go through the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi earlier accused the US of not honouring the deal, warning, in reference to Israel’s ongoing attacks on Lebanon, that it had to choose between a ceasefire or “continued war” via its ally “The world sees the massacres in Lebanon,” Araghchi said in a post on social media “The ball is in the US court, and the world is watching whether it will act on its commitments After plummeting on the back of the ceasefire announcement, oil prices have begun to tick up as markets digest the reality that maritime traffic remains effectively halted despite the truce “This moment requires clarity. So let’s be clear: the Strait of Hormuz is not open,” Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, the CEO of the United Arab Emirates’ state-run oil company, ADNOC, said in a social media post on Thursday “Access is being restricted, conditioned and controlled. Iran has made clear – through both its statements and actions – that passage is subject to permission, conditions and political leverage. That is not freedom of navigation. That is coercion Brent crude, the international benchmark, stood at $96.39 as of 02:00 GMT on Friday, after falling below $95 a barrel on Wednesday Asia’s main stock markets opened higher on Friday, following overnight gains on Wall Street driven by hopes of a resolution to the war Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 was up 1.8 percent in early trading, while South Korea’s KOSPI and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index were up about 2 percent and 1 percent, respectively #CZonTBPNInterview #FedNomineeHearingDelay #IranClosesHormuzAgain #UnicornChannel #XRPRealityCheck
US-Iran talks in Pakistan: Who’s attending, what’s on the agenda?
Islamabad, Pakistan – Pavements are being painted, an already formidable security presence is being bolstered, and an air of anticipation — and anxiety — is gripping Pakistan’s capital as it prepares to host meetings that the world will watch this weekend. Exactly six weeks after the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, set off a war that has killed thousands of people across multiple countries, shut down the world’s most critical oil passage and sent energy prices soaring, Islamabad will on Saturday host talks involving top US and Iranian officials. The meetings come days after both Washington and Tehran agreed to a Pakistan-mediated two-week ceasefire, and at a time when that truce is already under strain amid different interpretations of the terms of the pause in fighting — and Israel’s intensified bombing of Lebanon. Iran’s attacks on its Gulf neighbours, apart from Israel, amid the war have also left the world’s biggest energy export hub and a critical nerve centre of trade, tourism and innovation on edge since the fighting started on February 28. Tehran’s decision soon after to in effect shut down the Strait of Hormuz — through which 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas passes during peacetime — except to ships from countries that negotiated deals with it, rattled global markets and drove energy prices to record highs This coming weekend, senior representatives from key players in the war will converge in Pakistan’s leafy capital in the lower reaches of the Margalla Hills Here is everything you need to know about the upcoming talks in Islamabad — from who is expected to attend and where they will be held, to what’s on the agenda, potential roadblocks and what the world can expect The negotiations are set to begin this weekend in Islamabad after Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formally invited both sides to pursue talks towards a full settlement of the war The White House has confirmed that formal discussions will start on Saturday morning local time Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said on April 8 that talks could continue for up to 15 days — suggesting the possibility that at least some members of the delegations may stay in Islamabad beyond Saturday, or return to the Pakistani capital for subsequent rounds of talks Islamabad’s Serena Hotel will host the delegations. Located next to the foreign ministry in the capital’s Red Zone, which houses key government buildings and embassies, the hotel has been requisitioned from Wednesday evening through Sunday, with guests asked to vacate It is also expected to serve as the venue for the talks Authorities have declared April 9 and April 10 public holidays in the federal capital, exempting essential services such as police, hospitals and utilities Security has been tightened across the city. The Red Zone has been sealed, while key entry points into Islamabad have also been closed The White House has confirmed that US Vice President JD Vance will lead the American delegation, joined by President Donald Trump’s top envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are expected to lead the Iranian delegation. It is unclear whether any representative from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) — which is leading Tehran’s military response in the war — will attend the talks. Ghalibaf is a former IRGC commander. But Pakistani officials cautioned that nothing was a certainty until the delegations actually arrived Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, briefly announced on X that the Iranian delegation would arrive on April 9. “Despite skepticism of Iranian public opinion due to repeated ceasefire violations by the Israeli regime to sabotage the diplomatic initiative,” he wrote, the delegation had come for “serious talks based on the 10 points proposed by Iran Dania Thafer, executive director of the Gulf International Forum, said Israel’s absence from the talks was a structural challenge. “Israel being a party to the war, and the one who has the most interests vested in continuing this war, needs to be part of the negotiation and the final settlement,” she said. “Otherwise, they could always argue that Israelis did not agree to the terms of any agreement.” Khalid suggested that maximalist positions may eventually soften. A modicum of agreement between the US and Iran on the nuclear issue and a kind of multilateral understanding to open the Strait of Hormuz may be possible, as both sides are showing signs of fatigue and want a reprieve from hostilities,” he said On the question of a guarantor of peace, he was sceptical No single country would be willing to be a guarantor on US or Israel’s behalf,” he said. “China cannot take the risk of guaranteeing American and Israeli behaviour.” Any agreement, he added, would likely require backing from key Middle Eastern states, the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and a binding resolution Washington-based Khan suggested the guarantor question was premature, as “China doesn’t need to be there for this round Ceasefires are iterative and the first goal is to build trust. If the US can tame Israel and get it to stop attacking Lebanon during these talks, that’ll be significant, and Trump could chalk that up as a win,” she said. #CZonTBPNInterview #FedNomineeHearingDelay #IranClosesHormuzAgain #PolygonFunding #BinanceWalletLaunchesPredictionMarkets
Israel has already moved to undermine the truce’s credibility. While appearing to back Washington’s
The development came as authorities in the Pakistani capital on Wednesday declared two days of local holidays at short notice, without stating a reason Meanwhile, in the US, opposition to the war is growing. Senator Cory Booker said Democrats would seek to force a vote under the War Powers Resolution to curb what he described as unauthorised military action The escalation has prompted warnings from Tehran that continuing negotiations under such conditions may be “unreasonable” “The American people do not want and have not authorised [this war], but nonetheless keep paying the price Trump’s unauthorised military actions and reckless war-mongering must stop,” Booker said. Police in Venezuela block protesters calling for higher wages, pensions Union leaders, retirees and public sector workers in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas have marched towards the presidential palace to demand higher wages and dignified pensions, only to be met by police blockades. The protests on Thursday came the day after acting President Delcy Rodriguez went on national television to ask public and private sector workers for patience as her government works to improve the country’s economy Workers’ wages for years have not allowed them to afford basic necessities. Many public sector workers survive on roughly $160 per month, while the average private sector employee earned about $237 last year “Call for elections and leave. That’s what the Venezuelan worker wants today,” said Jose Patines, a marching union leader, outlining what he would like to see from the country’s interim government “Because if, on May 1, they come with an increase of a few dollars, no, we don’t need it. We want a salary with purchasing power National Police officers were deployed early on Thursday across downtown Caracas to intercept the march Several times, demonstrators successfully breached initial barriers. Reinforced blockades eventually halted the crowd, leaving the majority of protesters roughly two kilometres (1.2 miles) from the Miraflores presidential palace There were no immediate reports of injuries or arrests during the scuffles between police and protesters Rodriguez, in her address, promised workers a wage increase on May 1. She did not disclose the amount but said it would be done in a way meant to avoid the inflationary spike that followed the last minimum wage increase “This increase, as we have indicated, will be a responsible increase,” Rodriguez said. “Likewise, in the near future, as Venezuela enjoys more resources that allow for the sustainability of salary improvements and workers’ income, we will continue moving forward on this path Venezuela’s minimum wage of 130 bolivars, or $0.27 a month, has not increased since 2022, putting it well below the United Nations’ measure of extreme poverty of $3 a day. However, many public employees earn more through bonuses and other stipends that can take their monthly incomes up to $160 #CZonTBPNInterview #FedNomineeHearingDelay #IranClosesHormuzAgain #PolygonFunding #EthereumFoundationETHSaleForOperations
Trump says US forces to stay near Iran, ready for ‘next conquest’
United States President Donald Trump has warned that US forces will remain deployed around Iran and threatened overwhelming military action if Tehran fails to meet Washington’s demands, casting doubt over a fragile ceasefire. Writing on social media late on Wednesday, Trump said US troops, aircraft and naval forces would stay in position until what he described as the “REAL AGREEMENT” is fully implemented All US ships, aircraft, and military personnel … will remain in place in, and around, Iran, until such time as the REAL AGREEMENT reached is fully complied with,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. If for any reason it is not … the ‘Shootin’ Starts,′ bigger, and better, and stronger than anyone has ever seen before.” The remarks came just a day after a two-week ceasefire between Washington and Tehran, brokered by Pakistan, paused six weeks of fighting and briefly calmed global markets worried about disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. Yet Trump’s language underscored how quickly the truce could unravel. He reiterated US demands that Iran abandon any nuclear weapons ambitions and ensure safe passage through the vital shipping lane, while boasting that US forces were “Loading Up and Resting, looking forward, actually, to its next Conquest Meanwhile, in Iran on Thursday, the semiofficial ISNA and Tasnim news agencies published a chart suggesting the country’s paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had put sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz during the war. The chart showed a large circle marked “danger zone” in Farsi over the Traffic Separation Scheme, which was the route ships take through the strait. The chart suggested ships travel further north through waters closer to Iran’s mainland near Larak Island, a route that some ships were observed taking during the war. It was dated from February 28 until April 9, and it was unclear if the IRGC had cleared any mining on the route since then Many Iranians in Tehran have questioned whether diplomacy can survive under the shadow of continued US threats and Israel’s ongoing military campaign across the region. “If even one day passes without killing and bloodshed, that would be very good. It would make us happy. I swear to God, when I saw all this killing, I was so upset, I couldn’t even stay in my own home,” one woman told Al Jazeera Another man dismissed the truce outright, pointing to Israel’s continued bombardment of Lebanon. “A ceasefire has no meaning at all when our martyred leader has not even been buried yet, and when the rules of war are still being violated A third resident was even more blunt: “It’s all a theatrical show that Trump is playing. We have no belief in this ceasefire. The ceasefire itself remains riddled with contradictions Tehran has rejected a sweeping US proposal and instead tabled its own demands, including an end to Israeli attacks on Lebanon and the lifting of sanctions – conditions Washington has not accepted Despite the uncertainty, Iranian officials appeared to confirm that a delegation would travel to Islamabad for talks with US representatives in the coming days Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, said in a post on X on Thursday that a “delegation arrives tonight in Islamabad for serious talks based on 10 points proposed by Iran”. However, he later deleted the post The development came as authorities in the Pakistani capital on Wednesday declared two days of local holidays at short notice, without stating a reason Israel has already moved to undermine the truce’s credibility. While appearing to back Washington’s pause in direct strikes on Iran, it has intensified its assault on Lebanon, launching some of its deadliest attacks since February and killing at least 182 people in a single day The escalation has prompted warnings from Tehran that continuing negotiations under such conditions may be “unreasonable” Meanwhile, in the US, opposition to the war is growing. Senator Cory Booker said Democrats would seek to force a vote under the War Powers Resolution to curb what he described as unauthorised military action Trump’s unauthorised military actions and reckless war-mongering must stop,” Booker said. “The American people do not want and have not authorised [this war], but nonetheless keep paying the price #VeChainNodeMarketplace #cryptouniverseofficial #NOTCOİN #freedomofmoney #PolygonFunding
Pakistan moves to sign currency swap deals with EU, Russia, Iran to cut dollar reliance
The Prime Minister’s Office has directed authorities to accelerate efforts to finalise currency swap agreements with the European Union, Russia and Iran as part of a broader plan to reduce reliance on the US dollar and strengthen regional trade links, The Express Tribune reported. The proposed arrangements are expected to follow the model of the Pakistan-China currency swap, under which Islamabad has accessed a $4.5 billion facility. Officials said similar agreements with Russia and Iran could facilitate trade and ease pressure on foreign exchange reserves. They said the initiative has been included in the Ministry of Finance’s strategic reform agenda, with the PM’s Delivery Unit assigned to monitor progress. The government has also sought updates on negotiations involving ASEAN countries, with the aim of expanding trade settlement options. The move comes as Pakistan manages external financing pressures, including repayments of $4.8 billion this month. The government has already cleared a $1.3 billion Eurobond, with authorities reiterating commitment to meeting external obligations on schedule. Separately, the Prime Minister’s Office has tasked the finance ministry, in consultation with the State Bank, to prepare a plan to reduce the policy rate below 10%, while ensuring stability in currency markets. Authorities have also been asked to strengthen oversight to curb exchange rate manipulation, hoarding and smuggling of foreign currency. The government is also working to expand the use of alternative payment systems, including the Asian Clearing Union, and has been directed to launch awareness campaigns for businesses on settlement mechanisms using local currencies and RMB-based trade with China. In parallel, Pakistan has committed to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to ease currency controls, including removing targets for commercial banks to surrender dollars to the central bank and relaxing restrictions on outward foreign currency movement, subject to adequate reserves. The reform framework also includes targets to manage public debt and improve macroeconomic indicators. The government aims to reduce the debt-to-GDP ratio to 61.5% by 2028, lower external debt to 17.9% of GDP and bring interest payments down to 4.9% of GDP. Officials said efforts are also under way to keep the current account deficit below $3 billion and move towards a surplus, while maintaining GDP growth in the range of 4–5% in the near term and raising it to 6–8% by 2029, with the goal of expanding the economy to $500 billion. #FedNomineeHearingDelay #IranClosesHormuzAgain #CZLiveAMA #PolygonFunding #MorganStanley'sBTCETFSetToLaunch
What is Iran’s Strait of Hormuz protocol and will other nations accept it?
The Strait of Hormuz, which links the Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, has held global attention since Israel and the US began their war on Iran in February. Until fighting began, the narrow channel, through which 20 per cent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies are shipped from Gulf producers in peacetime, remained toll-free and safe for vessels. The strait is shared by Iran and Oman and does not fall into the category of international waters After the US and Israel began strikes, Iran retaliated by attacking “enemy” merchant ships in the strait, effectively halting passage for all, stranding shipping, and creating one of the worst-ever global energy distribution crises. Tehran continued to refuse to re-open the strait to all traffic at the start of this week, despite US President Donald Trump’s threats to bomb Iran’s power plants and bridges if it did not relent. Trump backed away from his threat on Tuesday night when a two-week ceasefire, brokered by Pakistan, was declared. That followed a 10-point peace proposal from Iran that Trump described as a “workable” basis on which to negotiate a permanent end to hostilities. As part of the truce, Tehran has now issued official terms it says will guide its control of the Strait going forward. The US has not directly acknowledged the terms ahead of talks set to begin in Islamabad on Friday. However, analysts say Tehran’s continued control will be unpopular with Washington, as well as other countries During the crisis, only a few ships from specific countries deemed friendly to Iran and those which pay a toll have been granted safe passage. At least two tolls for ships are believed to have been paid in Chinese yuan, in what appears to be a strategy to weaken the US dollar, but also to avoid US sanctions. China, which buys 80 percent of Iran’s oil, already pays Tehran in yuan On Tuesday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi said Iran would grant safe passage through the strait during the ceasefire in “coordination with Iran’s Armed Forces and with due consideration of technical limitations On Wednesday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) released a map of the strait showing a safe route for ships to follow. The map appears to direct ships further north towards the Iranian coast and away from the traditional route closer to the coast of Oman In a statement, the IRGC said all vessels must use the new map for navigation due to “the likelihood of the presence of various types of anti-ship mines in the main traffic zone” However, Trump said on Tuesday the US would be “helping with the traffic buildup” in the strait and that the US army would be “hanging around” as the negotiations go on. It is unclear whether Iran is collecting toll fees during the ceasefire period. It’s not known to what extent US troops are directing what happens in the strait now The Strait will be “OPEN & SAFE” he posted on his Truth Social media site on Thursday, adding that US troops would not leave the area, and threatening to resume attacks if the Among Tehran’s main demands listed on its 10-point plan are that the US and Israel permanently cease all attacks on Iran and its allies – particularly Lebanon – lift all sanctions, and allow Iran to retain control over Hormuz. The plan has not been fully published but is understood to be a starting point for talks Delhi-based maritime analyst C Uday Bhaskar told Al Jazeera that there is a lot of “uncertainty” about who can sail through the strait, and that only between three and five ships have transited since the war was paused Revenues raised would be used to rebuild military and civilian infrastructure damaged by US-Israeli strikes, Tehran said Iranian media say Iran is considering a plan to charge up to $2m per vessel to be shared with Oman on the opposite side of the strait. Other reports suggest Iran could charge $1 per barrel of oil being shipped Critics of Iran’s plan to charge tolls say it violates international law guiding safe maritime passage, and should not be part of a final ceasefire agreement Oman has rejected the idea. Transport minister Said Al-Maawali said on Wednesday that the Omanis previously “signed all international maritime transport agreements” which bar taking fees The law allows coastal states to collect fees for services rendered, such as navigation assistance or port use, but not for passage itself The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) says levies cannot be charged on ships sailing through international straits or territorial seas Neither the US nor Iran has ratified that particular convention, however Even if they had, there could be ways to get around this law anyway. Analyst Bhaskar told Al Jazeera that if Iran instead charged fees to de-mine the strait and make it safe for passage again, that could be allowable under maritime laws There is no precedent in recent history of countries officially taxing passage through international straits or waterways In October 2024, a United Nations Security Council report alleged that the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen were collecting “illegal fees” from shipping companies to allow vessels to pass through the Red Sea and the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, where it was targeting ships linked to Israel during the Gaza war Last week, a top adviser to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei suggested the Houthis could shut the Bab al-Mandeb shipping route again in light of the war on Iran Tolls for passage through the Strait of Hormuz would likely most affect oil and gas-producing countries in the Gulf, but ripple effects will spread to others as well, as the current supply shocks have shown Gulf countries, which issued statements calling for the reopening of the passage and praising the ceasefire on Wednesday, would also face a continuing degree of uncertainty, analysts say, as Iran could again disrupt flows in the future Before the ceasefire was announced, Bahrain had already proposed a resolution at the UN Security Council calling on member states to coordinate and jointly reopen the passage by “all necessary means”. It was backed by Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Jordan. On April 7, 11 of 15 UNSC members voted in favour of that resolution But Russia and China vetoed the resolution, saying it was biased against Iran and did not address the initial strikes on Iran by the US and Israel Beyond the region, observers say the US is unlikely to accept indefinite toll demands by Iran as part of the negotiations expected to begin on Friday A toll to pass through the Strait of Hormuz “is not going to go down well with President Trump and his expectations that the strait should be open for everyone”, Amin Saikal, a professor at the Australian National University, said Other major powers have also voiced opposition. Ahead of the ceasefire, Britain had begun discussions with 40 other countries to find a way to reopen the strait. Practical realities in the strait might see a different scenario play out with ship owners losing millions each day their vessels remain stranded seeking to get them out quickly and undamaged experts say. They are more likely to comply with Iran, at least for now “If I were the owner of a VLCC [very large crude carrier] which weighs about 300,000 tonnes, whose value could be a quarter billion dollars…I would believe the Iranians if they said we have laid mines,” Bhaskar said. #Launchpool #Kriptocutrader #jasmyustd #hottrendingtopics #PEPEATH
Iran's crypto tanker tolls are the latest step in its sanctions‑busting trade network
The Iranian regime has been increasingly using cryptocurrency over the last few years to facilitate cross border oil trading, according to data from Chainalysis The formalization of a system of shipping toll payments made using bitcoin and USD-pegged stablecoins appears to be an audacious move. However, the Iranian regime, and more specifically the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has been increasingly using cryptocurrency over the last few years to facilitate cross border commercial trade, especially with Iranian oil sales, according to data from blockchain analytics specialist Chainalysis. It's highly unsurprising that this type of trade would be happening via cryptocurrency as well,” said Andrew Fierman, head of national security intelligence at Chainalysis, referring to the toll paid by ships allowed to sail through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow sea channel where about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas usually passes. A snapshot of sanctioned activity from over the last year and a half shows a growing and complex network using crypto wallets. Back in December of 2024, a U.S.-sanctioned, IRGC-affiliated financier linked to the Iran-backed Houthi regime facilitated Iranian oil sales to Yemen involving cryptocurrency addresses. This came to over $178 million in transfers in a single year. Then, in April of 2025, a broader network of Houthi financiers were purchasing weapons and commodities from Russia. Their cryptocurrency addresses were included in a sanctions designation accounting for nearly a billion dollars in activity – again in just about the course of the year. Interestingly, the Houthis, an Iran-backed armed group that controls much of northern Yemen, have now raised the prospect of imposing a second chokepoint on the world’s oil and gas shipping trade at the Bab-al-Mandeb channel that connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.In any case, the picture is one of IRGC-affiliated networks using crypto at commercial scale to facilitate cross border trade, according to Fierman of Chianalysis. It’s a system that’s much more complex and established than simply a handful of wallets being used in perpetuity, he said. They have a network of cryptocurrency wallets that the regime is using to facilitate this cross border activity. To accept these payments in crypto would make it easier than potentially utilizing the traditional banking system and there’s enough liquidity out there that they don't even need to really use cryptocurrency exchanges either,” Fierman said in an interview. The way the IRGC is broadly adopting cryptocurrency, specifically stablecoins, as a payment mechanism for cross border trade, is really the inverse of the situation with North Korea, Fierman pointed out, where the main goal is stealing billions of dollars in crypto and laundering it. The Iranian regime has been comprehensively sanctioned since 1979, including individual sanctions on almost every bank, so its inability to access U.S. dollar-pegged assets makes it a challenge for them to trade internationally. The reality is that most counterparts don't want to trade in Rials or in Tomans, especially considering the hyperinflation that is regularly happening in the country as well. So this ability to get a US dollar-pegged asset creates a mechanism that allows them to trade globally with anyone who's willing to trade with them, in an alternative mechanism that doesn't rely on the traditional banking system,” Fierman said. In Iran, the official currency is the Rial (IRR), but people universally use Tomans on a daily basis in shops, for instance; one Toman is equivalent to 10 Rials. Tom Keatinge, founding director of the Centre for Finance and Security (CFS) at UK defence think tank RUSI, agreed that USD-backed stablecoins have become an increasingly important payment mechanism for the Iranian regime that avoids sanctions and western banking controls Whilst the use of stablecoins might open users up to Western regulatory intervention, evidence suggests that this risk is low,” Keatinge said in an email Lee Reiners, a lecturing fellow at Duke University’s Financial Economics Center, suggested a novel way the Iranian regime could further its sanctions-skirting stablecoin goals “If Iran was thinking strategically, it might take a cue from its neighbors across the Strait in the UAE and demand payment in USD1,” Reiners said, referring to the stablecoin launched by the Trump family-affiliated World Liberty Financial in March of 2025. “Then the President of the United States would have a financial incentive to lift sanctions and allow them to charge whatever tolls they want #freedomofmoney #IranClosesHormuzAgain #CZLiveAMA #PolygonFunding #MorganStanley'sBTCETFSetToLaunch
Has Iran’s 10-point plan changed, as JD Vance claims?
Confusion over competing United States and Iranian proposals to end the war is deepening uncertainty about the fragile two-week ceasefire between the longtime foes, with officials presenting sometimes differing accounts of what has been agreed. At the centre of the dispute is an Iranian 10-point plan, which is the basis for the upcoming negotiations with the US in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, this weekend. President Donald Trump has called the plan “workable”, despite initially handing Iran a 15-point plan that Tehran dismissed as “maximalist However, hours after the ceasefire, US officials, including Trump, offered mixed responses to Iran’s proposal and what Washington understood the key points of the document to be Vice President JD Vance dismissed the publicised version as little more than a “random yahoo in Iran submitting it to public access television Adding to the confusion, the Persian version of the plan notably diverges from the English one on a key sticking point between Washington and Tehran – Iran’s right to enrich uranium The Trump administration presented Iran with what officials described as a 15-point framework aimed at ending the war, and potentially achieving a permanent end to hostilities between the longtime foes While the full details have not been publicly released, reports by US media outlets and others included the following elements: Donald Trump on Wednesday said that “many of the 15 points” in the proposal had been agreed upon, signalling optimism about a broader deal “We are, and will be, talking tariff and sanctions relief with Iran,” the US president added However, Iran rejected the US framework, with its Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei confirming that Tehran had received messages from the US via intermediaries. He dismissed Washington’s demands as “maximalist” and “illogical Tehran advanced its own positions in a 10-point counterproposal, which included demands of compensation for damages suffered by Iran during the war, a commitment to non-aggression by the US, Iran retaining its leverage over the Strait of Hormuz, and acceptance of Iran’s nuclear enrichment Trump on Wednesday said the US has received a 10-point proposal from Iran, which he called a “workable basis on which to negotiate However, later in the day, confusion over what the official US position was started to become apparent Trump turned to his Truth Social platform to attack those he accused of spreading inaccurate accounts of supposed agreements “There is only one group of meaningful ‘POINTS’ that are acceptable to the United States, and we will be discussing them behind closed doors during these Negotiations,” Trump said, without providing details. “These are the POINTS that are the basis on which we agreed to a CEASEFIRE The US president, in a separate post, said there will be “no enrichment of Uranium, and the United States will, working with Iran, dig up and remove all of the deeply buried (B-2 Bombers) Nuclear ‘Dust White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt downplayed certain reports about the Iranian proposal and said that Trump would reject any uranium enrichment by Tehran“The president’s red lines, namely the end of Iranian enrichment in Iran, have not changed,” Leavitt told reporters. While Iran says it is not seeking nuclear weapons, it insists on enriching its own uranium as a national right Moreover, Leavitt said Iran’s initial 10-point proposal was “literally thrown in the garbage” by Trump’s team, but Tehran later put forward a revised “more reasonable and entirely different” plan, one which could be aligned with Trump’s own 15-point proposal “We don’t really concern ourselves with what they claim they have the right to do; we concern ourselves with what they actually do,” he added in remarks made to reporters in Budapest He said he had seen at least three different drafts of the proposals. “The first 10-point proposal was something that was submitted, and we think, frankly, was probably written by ChatGPT,” Vance said In short, yes. At least two different versions of that same plan appear to exist, one in English and the other in Persian In the Persian version, made public by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, it said the “US has, in principle, committed to” a series of demands, most notably the “acceptance of enrichment”, signalling that any deal must recognise Iran’s right to continue enriching uranium However, this phrase was allegedly omitted from the English-language version. Iran has consistently framed uranium enrichment as a sovereign right, while the Trump administration and its ally Israel call the demand a non-starter and a red For years, Tehran has maintained that its nuclear activities are strictly civilian and that it has no plans to build nuclear weapons In 2015, it reached an agreement with the US to curb its nuclear programme in return for relief from sanctions. In 2018, however, Trump pulled Washington out of that landmark accord and reimposed sanctions on Iran #Altcoins! #btc70k #cryptouniverseofficial #DelistingAlert #ETHETFS
Record animal sacrifice attempts at Al-Aqsa prompt status quo fears
Israeli settlers have made seven attempts to smuggle animal sacrifices into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound during this year’s Jewish Passover festival, the highest number of such incidents documented since the beginning of the Israeli occupation in 1967 The Palestinian Authority’s Jerusalem Governorate said on Sunday the provocations took place while Israeli authorities kept the 144-dunum (36-acre) compound, along with the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, sealed off for 40 consecutive days However, Al-Aqsa Mosque reopened early on Thursday morning, as worshippers flocked to the Jerusalem holy site after authorities lifted the weeks-long restrictions. Israeli forces had cited a “state of emergency” and “security” measures linked to the US-Israel war on Iran for the prolonged shutdown Capitalising on weeks of empty courtyards, far-right “Temple Mount groups” – which use the Jewish name for Al-Aqsa – launched a concerted push to perform biblical animal sacrifices inside the Muslim holy site. The governorate documented that settlers successfully reached the borders of the Old City with their sacrifices – typically a goat or a sheep – on at least two occasions before being stopped According to Israeli media, police previously detained at least 14 Jewish worshippers on April 1 for attempting to reach the site to perform the ritual Several of the attempts have been captured on video, with footage showing smiling activists – including, in some cases, young children – carrying baby goats in their arms or leading them through the stone alleys of the Old City, before being intercepted and questioned by armed Israeli police at various checkpoints and gates While the detentions of the activists may appear to show Israeli authorities maintaining order, experts argue they mask a long-term strategy of encroachment on Al-Aqsa, with the eventual aim of taking it over. Suhail Khalilieh, a political analyst and expert on Jerusalem affairs, told Al Jazeera that the push to perform sacrifices at Al-Aqsa was not a religious matter, but instead served as a “political, colonial and provocative tool He dismissed the Israeli police’s detention of the settlers as a “theatrical play” designed to absorb local and international anger while allowing gradual changes on the ground It is a dual-management mechanism,” Khalilieh explained, noting a dynamic role play between the state and the Temple groups. “The police intervention is limited and temporary … The state’s refusal to permanently end these phenomena is, in itself, an imposition of gradual changes on the ground that will ultimately lead to a new reality.” Under the historical and legal status quo governing the site, non-Muslims are allowed to visit the compound during designated hours, but are strictly prohibited from praying or performing religious rituals. The Jerusalem Endowments (Waqf) and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, affiliated with Jordan, is the legal entity with exclusive jurisdiction Attempts to normalise Jewish prayer on the site are a growing phenomenon, with backing from far-right Israeli ministers. However, they go against traditional Orthodox Jewish teaching, which bans entry to the Al-Aqsa compound. For the Temple Mount groups, whose stated objective is the destruction of the mosque to build a Jewish temple, the sacrificial rituals are highly symbolic It signifies a transition from the phase of waiting to actual field action,” Khalilieh said, describing the permitted settler activities as an “unofficial declaration of a new phase” aimed at gradually imposing Israeli Jewish sovereignty. The Palestinian Authority echoed that sentiment, warning that the push for animal sacrifices represents the “peak of weaponising religious rituals as a colonial tool” to Judaise the mosque The settler groups have also weaponised the historic 40-day closure of the mosque by launching aggressive online campaigns, heavily utilising artificial intelligence-generated images to rally their base For instance, far-right Israeli activist Arnon Segal recently shared an AI-generated image depicting a festive scene of Jewish families and children leading sheep adorned with ribbons into the mosque compound, with the Dome of the Rock in the background. The caption read, “If we will it, it is no dream” – a famous quote by early Zionist leader Theodor Herzl Khalilieh warned that the use of such AI-generated imagery poses a “real strategic threat”. By generating festive, less shocking depictions of the blood sacrifices, the technology psychologically and socially normalises the practice within Israeli society It shifts the idea from being a limited, fringe concept to a full popular demand,” he noted. “This creates a false sense of consensus, which ultimately pressures decision-makers to turn these individual initiatives into official state policy. The prolonged shutdown of Al-Aqsa has already drawn widespread international anger. Last month, foreign ministers from eight Arab and Islamic countries condemned the Israeli closure as a “flagrant violation” of international law, stressing that Israel has no sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem However, Khalilieh urged the Arab and Islamic worlds to go beyond condemnation. He called for a “counter-digital narrative” to combat AI-generated misinformation and immediate diplomatic pressure to prevent unilateral changes. He drew a sharp parallel to the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, which has fallen under heavy Israeli control following similar gradual shifts Before the gates reopened on Thursday, Palestinian worshippers had remained locked out of Al-Aqsa. The compound was closed for five consecutive Fridays. While the courtyards and prayer halls were left empty for weeks – save for a handful of Waqf guards -the reopening follows growing calls among Palestinians in Jerusalem who had mobilised at the nearest Israeli military checkpoints surrounding the Old City in an attempt to break the siege #satoshiNakamato #FIL/USDT #Dogecoin #GamingCoins #haroonahmadofficial
Israeli attacks on Lebanon aimed to undermine ceasefire, critics say
Just hours after the United States and Iran announced a ceasefire in the war that has dominated news headlines around the world and pushed oil prices to new heights, Israel bombarded Lebanon on Wednesday, killing hundreds, injuring thousands and prompting Iran to reimpose its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The bone of contention: whether or not Israel’s relentless strikes on Lebanon were included in the ceasefire at all. Pakistan, which brokered the agreement, said they were. Israel said they weren’t. Later on Wednesday, the US sided with Israel, with President Donald Trump calling the violence in Lebanon “a separate skirmish” even though Hezbollah had entered the war in defence of Iran. In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has come under intense political pressure since the US and Iran signed the ceasefire, which had little or no active involvement from Israel. None of Israel’s war aims, which Netanyahu had assured his country were the basis for what he framed as an existential battle with Iran, had been achieved, angering those who supported the war. Furthermore, under the terms of the truce published yesterday, a 10-point peace plan put forward by Iran has been accepted as a starting point for negotiations due to begin this weekend in Islamabad Under early descriptions of the Iranian plan, Iran would retain its nuclear stock and could benefit financially from levies charged on shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and from tariffs and sanctions relief promised by Israel’s ally, US President Donald Trump, on his Truth Social account. This is far from the 15-point list of demands the US previously put forward to Iran, which would have seen the strait completely reopened without conditions, and Iran giving up its enriched uranium stocks, ending its ballistic missiles programme and promising to stop arming proxy groups in the region, such as the Houthis in Yemen, Hezbollah in Lebanon and a flurry of armed groups in Iraq Arguing that Lebanon is exempt from the ceasefire agreement, Israel launched the most extensive bombardment on its neighbour in recent months on Wednesday. In the space of about 10 minutes, the Israeli military carried out more than 100 strikes on what it claimed were Hezbollah targets, hitting Beirut, southern Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa Valley, killing at least 254 people, 91 of them in the capital, Beirut, alone The attacks have been condemned by numerous nations and international organisations, including Spain, France, the United Kingdom, the United Nations and Pakistan, which brokered the ceasefire deal and stated explicitly that Lebanon was included Responding to the strikes, Iranian state media announced that its government was now considering walking away from the truce and has already announced that restrictions on the economically vital Strait of Hormuz will be reimposed For its part, Israel says it is not trying to kill the ceasefire by launching strikes on Lebanon. Charles Freilich, Israel’s former deputy national security adviser, told Al Jazeera that the motivation for the strikes arose solely from the “opportunity to hit numerous mid to high-level Hezbollah fighters, not spoil the ceasefire, which both the US and Israel maintain does not include Lebanon “Israeli officials will no doubt claim that this was a super sophisticated operation against necessary security targets, perhaps embellishing those arguments with claims of deep intel and technological penetration and sophistication, and you will probably have the usual mainstream Western media outlets slavishly parroting the Israeli line,” former Israeli government adviser Daniel Levy told Al Jazeera, before explaining that such operations typically combine two principal features The first is, sadly, an Israeli devotion to death and destruction, largely for its own sake, to spread terror and upend state capacity in various places in the region, and to upend civilian life,” he said. “And, secondly, a very transparent attempt to prolong the broader war against Iran, to collapse any ceasefire prospects, and to act as provocateurs-in-chief.” Politically, support within Israel for the war may have weakened, however. Many of those who initially supported the war on Iran have been unsparing in their criticism of a potential pause in the conflict negotiated by the other two parties at Israel’s apparent expense. Posting on X, opposition leader Yair Lapid claimed that Prime Minister “Netanyahu has turned us into a protectorate state that receives instructions over the phone on matters pertaining to the core of our national security” Democrats leader Yair Golan was equally scathing. “Netanyahu lied,” he wrote on X. “He promised a ‘historic victory’ and security for generations, and in practice, we got one of the most severe strategic failures Israel has ever known Netanyahu is in real trouble, and he thinks he has to wreck the ceasefire to get out of it, just as he did previously in Gaza,” Member of the Knesset Aida Touma Sliman of the left-wing Hadash party, which has opposed the war from the start, told Al Jazeera. “The ceasefire has lost him a lot of support, even among those who backed the war. None of his war aims have been achieved and it looks like he is losing control to the Trump administration,” she said. Don’t forget, we’re heading towards elections,” she added, referring to the vote currently slated for October, “and Netanyahu’s dropping in the polls. He needs something he can claim is a victory. And that’s why he did what he did,” she said, of Wednesday’s barrage on busy Lebanese neighbourhoods that killed hundreds, including women, children and medical workers, according to emergency workers on the ground. “He conducted a massacre in Lebanon. #ZeroFeeTrading #XRPRealityCheck #CryptoPatience #Volatilidad #BinanceHerYerde