$580 million in oil bets placed moments before Trump’s Iran post – FT

(SeaPRwire) –   The Financial Times has suggested that a sudden, intense surge in Brent and WTI futures trading might indicate potential insider information that sparked a market sell-off.

According to the Financial Times, oil market participants made bets exceeding $500 million just moments before U.S. President Donald Trump shared news of “productive” discussions with Iran on Monday.

A sudden spike in trading followed by a significant price decline has sparked concerns regarding whether some traders had prior knowledge of the announcement.

Between 6:49 AM and 6:50 AM New York time, approximately 6,200 Brent and WTI futures contracts were traded—a one-minute flurry valued at $580 million, according to FT analysis of Bloomberg data. Trading volumes for both benchmarks—Brent and U.S. West Texas Intermediate—jumped simultaneously about 27 seconds before 6:50 AM, with S&P 500 futures rising shortly thereafter.

These transactions occurred about 15 minutes prior to Trump’s Truth Social post, in which he mentioned “productive conversations” with Tehran aimed at concluding the conflict in Iran.

His post at 7:04 AM led to a rapid sell-off in international energy markets, whereas S&P 500 futures and European stocks rose as investors reduced their expectations of a long-term war.

The FT pointed out that the identity of those responsible for the trades remains unknown.

“While proving a direct link is difficult… one must question who would be so bold in selling futures 15 minutes before Trump’s announcement,” a U.S. broker strategist remarked to the publication.

Per CME Group regulations—the Chicago-based exchange where Brent and WTI crude futures are traded—significant positions must be reported daily, although the specific identities of traders are not disclosed to the public in real time.

This intense one-minute surge is notable even when compared to standard high-volume sessions, which typically involve hundreds of thousands of contracts.

Although the timing and potential beneficiaries of the trades have drawn scrutiny, the White House has dismissed the concerns, denying that any officials within the administration gained illegally from non-public information.

“The sole priority of President Trump and his team is the welfare of the American public,” spokesperson Kush Desai stated, labeling any claims of insider trading as “baseless and irresponsible.”

Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of Iran’s parliament, subsequently denied that any negotiations with Washington took place, causing global equities to drop and energy prices to rise. He claimed that “fake news” was being utilized to influence financial and oil markets to assist the U.S. and Israel in avoiding their current difficulties.

Oil prices recovered on Tuesday, with Brent exceeding $103 per barrel and WTI approaching $91, as ongoing doubts regarding Iran maintained market volatility.