FT: Suspicious oil trades precede Trump Iran tweet
Oil traders executed suspicious transactions worth approximately $850 million (€787 million) just 15 minutes before President Trump announced "productive negotiations" with Iran, according to a Financial Times investigation.
The trades took place between 06:49 and 06:50 Washington time on the New York exchange. Over 6,200 Brent and WTI crude oil futures contracts were processed. At 07:04, the President tweeted that the U.S. would delay strikes on Iranian power plants by five days.
Market volatility and reversal
Global oil prices dropped sharply following the announcement, while stock indices surged. However, the market gains evaporated quickly after Tehran denied that any negotiations had taken place. Oil prices subsequently recovered their losses.
Market analysts have highlighted the "extraordinary timing" of the trades. One analyst told the Financial Times that the window of execution raises serious questions about potential information leaks. "Someone just became a lot richer," another source noted.
Administration response
The White House has strongly denied allegations of insider trading or information leaks. Officials stated that the administration’s sole focus is the best interest of the American people.
"The White House will not tolerate any administration official illegally profiting from insider information," said Deputy Press Secretary Kush Desai. He dismissed the suggestions as "unfounded and irresponsible" in the absence of hard evidence.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
