Strikes on Iran: What Impact on Bitcoin, Stocks, Oil, and Gold?

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September 2, 2026 5 min read5 min

An Explosive Geopolitical Context Around the Strait of Hormuz

Donald Trump confirmed on Truth Social on Tuesday that the United States was striking Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz, in retaliation for an Iranian attempt to lay mines in this strategic passage. According to Washington, about 100 military and maritime targets were hit, including two oil tankers owned by the Iranian state.

This escalation is part of an open conflict between the two countries since late February 2026, marked by recurring cycles of strikes and counterstrikes. The Strait of Hormuz accounts for a significant share of the world's crude oil supply, which explains the immediate nervousness of financial markets.

The shockwave extends far beyond the geopolitical sphere. It simultaneously affects risky assets, safe havens, and bond yields, in an unusual combination that redefines investors' benchmarks.

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Bitcoin: Below $78,000, the Critical Threshold to Watch

The price of Bitcoin fell below $78,000 on Tuesday, dropping about 1.57% over 24 hours to trade around $77,510. The token had recently touched $80,000, buoyed by an initiative from the U.S. Treasury that triggered a sudden rebound.

BTC remains about 38.6% below its all-time high of October 2025, set at $126,195. Since the beginning of the conflict in late February, each escalation has triggered waves of selling, sometimes plunging Bitcoin to near $62,000.

JUST IN: 🇺🇸🇮🇷 Bitcoin falls under $77,000 and $ETH falls under $2,400 as US and Iran exchange strikes.

$100,000,000 liquidated from the crypto market in the past 60 minutes. pic.twitter.com/m4Fak9DK8R

--- Watcher.Guru (@WatcherGuru) September 1, 2026

The entire crypto market has been affected. Nearly $85 billion was wiped out in a few hours following the announcement of U.S. strikes. > BREAKING: 🚨 $85,000,000,000 wiped from the crypto market as the US-Iran conflict intensifies. > > It's happening again. pic.twitter.com/64XvAisfiX > > --- Crypto Rover (@cryptorover) September 2, 2026
The mechanism is now well identified. Rising oil prices rekindle inflation fears, prompting the Federal Reserve to consider tightening monetary policy again. Historically, this context weighs on risky assets like Bitcoin and cryptos. Spot ETFs continue to provide institutional support, but speculative capital remains hypersensitive to major geopolitical headlines.

👉 On the same topic -- Bitcoin Records Its Best August Since 2017 Despite the Bear Market

Oil: Brent Surpasses $94 a Barrel

Brent soared to $94.48 a barrel, a 4.1% increase for the day. Some analysts even mention a peak of $96.20 for Brent and nearly $90 for U.S. WTI.

The $100 per barrel threshold becomes a major psychological tipping point. Below this, the story remains one of geopolitical risk. Beyond this, it would transform into a story of inflation, with direct consequences on Fed policy and stock valuations.

👉 On the same topic -- Spectacular Rise in Oil as the War in Iran Drags On

For French investors, this surge directly impacts their wallets through pump prices and the energy bills of companies, in a context where the ECB is also monitoring imported inflationary pressures. Trade Republic
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Stocks: Wall Street Declines for the Third Session

American indices took a hit. The S&P 500 lost 0.71% to close at 7,631 points, while the Nasdaq Composite fell by 1.03% to 26,099 points. The Nasdaq 100 thus marks its third consecutive decline.

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Tech stocks, particularly sensitive to rising rates, are suffering. NVIDIA dropped 1.39% to $217.44, while Alphabet lost 1.28% and Amazon 1.87%. MicroStrategy, now just Strategy, plunged 6.06% to $124.88, weighed down by the double blow of Bitcoin's decline and the tech sector's retreat.

Asian markets followed suit, with the MSCI Asia-Pacific down 1.2%, and declines of 2.5% in Japan and South Korea. The combination of high bond yields and inflation fears particularly weighs on long-duration stocks.

Gold: The Safe Haven That No Longer Plays Its Role

Counterintuitively, gold plunged by more than 2.3% to trade around $4,342 per ounce, before breaking below the $4,300 threshold. This is an unusual reaction for an asset traditionally sought after during geopolitical tensions.

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The explanation lies in a chain mechanism. The rise in oil fuels inflation expectations, pushing U.S. 10-year bond yields near 4.80%, a high since early 2025. However, gold pays no yield. When bonds yield more, it becomes less attractive.

Markets now anticipate between 68% and 71% chances of a Fed rate hike in September, compared to less than 40% recently. This perspective radically changes the equation for gold and cryptocurrencies, both penalized by a stronger dollar and higher real rates.

Key Takeaways for Investors

The current sequence illustrates a major paradox in the markets in 2026. A classic geopolitical escalation should have benefited safe-haven assets. However, the structure of the oil shock towards inflation towards rates towards the dollar reverses the traditional mechanics.

For retail investors, several signals deserve close attention. The $77,000 threshold on Bitcoin remains a key level, a break of which could pave the way for a test of the $62,000 observed during previous escalations. The U.S. employment report published on Friday will be decisive in determining between inflationary and monetary easing scenarios.

👉 On the same topic -- The U.S. Treasury can now sanction any crypto player linked to Iran

In this context, diversification remains the key word. Cryptocurrencies, gold, and tech stocks are today reacting in a correlated manner to the decline, reminding us that no asset is completely decoupled from a large macro shock. Discover how to invest wisely in Bitcoin (and protect your savings) with the Strategist method

Sources: XTB, Invezz, Briefs.co, stocks flinch, Yahoo Finance
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Mattis Meichler

254 articles
Journalist passionate about Blockchain, the Web3 ecosystem, and Digital Art, I chronicle the evolution of these emerging sectors.
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