Oil traders bet millions ahead of Trump's Iran talks post

Key Points:

• Traders placed unusually large bets totaling around $320 million on oil contracts minutes before US President Donald Trump announced a postponement of strikes against Iranian energy infrastructure, causing oil prices to drop sharply by 14%.
• Market data showed a sudden spike in trading volume on both WTI and Brent crude contracts just before Trump's social media post, raising suspicions of possible insider knowledge influencing these trades.
• Similar trading patterns were observed in futures contracts for major stock indices, indicating bets on rising market values ahead of the announcement, despite no public indication of serious US-Iran talks at that time.
• The timing and scale of these trades have prompted speculation about insider trading, with calls for investigations, while the Iranian government denied any negotiations, labeling the reports as "fake news."
• The White House has stated it does not tolerate illegal profiteering from insider information, but no official comment has been made regarding the unusual market activity.