Houthis Torch Tankers, Trump Floats 'Massive Attack,' and $BTC Slides Below $65K 🛢️

Bitcoin slipped below $65,000 on Thursday, July 23, as escalating US-Iran tensions and renewed Houthi strikes on Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea pushed crude above $88 per barrel and rattled global markets. The BTC price dipped to $64,831.54, down 1.52% at press time, while XRP also pared gains as traders weighed the energy supply shock.

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis hit two Saudi Arabia oil tankers in the Red Sea using ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones, according to IRNA News Agency. Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree said the attacks also intercepted multiple commercial vessels, and Saudi authorities confirmed a Saudi-owned commercial vessel was struck, causing an onboard fire. The disruption compounds two-chokepoint risk for global oil supply, with flows also threatened through the Strait of Hormuz.

US President Donald Trump said he is weighing additional military action against Iran. "I am considering a massive attack. Bigger than ever before. I am close to making a decision. We are all set for it," Trump said, per Axios. He added that Israel "would join in two minutes if I ask them to," but stressed, "we don't need anybody" to launch an operation. Trump also warned of "consequences" if Israel were to intervene, signaling expectations of Iranian retaliation.

US Treasury yields climbed to record highs as markets braced for rising inflation and a fresh energy shock driven by the Red Sea disruption. Bitcoin and XRP both fell alongside the broader risk-off move, with traders citing geopolitical uncertainty and elevated energy costs as the catalysts for the decline.