#Trump'sIranAttackDelayed
Bitcoin climbed back near $77,000 on May 18, 2026, after President Donald Trump announced he was halting a scheduled U.S. military strike on Iran at the personal request of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad, and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed triggering an immediate risk on rotation across crypto, equities, and gold.
The hours leading up to the announcement told a starkly different story.
Bitcoin fell 2.4% to $76,500 and Ethereum dropped 3.5% to $2,116, while Brent crude briefly topped $112 per barrel following Trump's warning that Iran better get moving, fast.
Over $580 million in positions were liquidated in just four hours, with $550 million in long positions alone wiped out, according to CoinGlass data.
The macro picture remains fragile.
Digital asset investment products recorded $1.07 billion in outflows last week the third largest weekly withdrawal of 2026 snapping a six week consecutive inflow streak, with Bitcoin absorbing the largest share of withdrawals as geopolitical uncertainty weighed on sentiment
The pause is conditional Trump has instructed Defense Secretary Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Cain to remain ready to launch a full, large scale assault at a moment's notice if an acceptable deal is not reached.
💡 Beginner's Corner Why Does Geopolitical Risk Hit Crypto So Hard?
The 2026 Iran War has already disrupted oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, heightened inflationary pressures, and driven a global shift toward defensive positioning across asset classes crypto included.
Analysts modeled that a full Hormuz closure could push crude between $105 and $165 per barrel, feeding U.S. inflation and delaying Fed rate cuts a combination that has historically weighed on Bitcoin during geopolitical shocks.
💬 Does Bitcoin's sensitivity to U.S.-Iran headlines prove it's still a risk asset far from safe haven status or are institutional driven corrections simply the new normal in a maturing market?
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