Since August 26, oil prices have been rising almost every working day, and Trump’s stance on the rising prices has shifted from 'they’ll drop soon' to 'they’ll drop after the midterm elections.' While Iran does indeed hope to influence the Republican elections by driving up oil prices, if the plan is to wait until after the midterms for Iran to voluntarily open the Strait of Hormuz, then Trump is really overthinking it. If Trump can’t solve the high oil price issue now, he likely won’t be able to solve it after the midterms either. The U.S. and Iran are currently in a phase of testing who can endure more. Iran is attacking U.S.-led ships, while the U.S. is targeting Iranian oil tankers and even blocking Iranian ports. In reality, neither side is doing well. Both Iran and the U.S. actually want to renegotiate, but the conditions for renegotiation inevitably involve both sides wanting to take the upper hand. This is the main reason for the current stalemate. I think a stronger mediator is needed to push things forward. I’ve heard that China has been trying to step in—let’s see if it works. After all, continuing to block the Strait of Hormuz impacts the entire world. Unless Iran opens part of the Strait of Hormuz, which could ease pressure on the U.S., it all depends on how significant this compromise will be. As for Bitcoin, I haven’t been buying recently. On one hand, the interest rates offered at the current low prices aren’t attractive. On the other hand, with rising oil prices, the market could start speculating about rate hikes at any time—especially if the conflict escalates further or inflation data worsens. So, I’m holding off until the CPI data is released. After that, I’ll reassess the price and start investing again. @Gate Crypto, U.S. stocks, Hong Kong stocks, Korean stocks, gold, CFDs, prediction markets—all in one platform!