About 15 minutes before Trump posted about Iran negotiations, a large transaction with a notional value of up to $580 million occurred in the crude oil market, raising strong suspicions of insider trading.
According to the Financial Times, between 6:49 a.m. and 6:50 a.m. New York time on Monday, approximately 6,200 Brent crude and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures contracts changed hands in just one minute, with a notional value of about $580 million.
<img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://wpimg-wscn.awtmt.com/1cc5631c-1377-43a4-a34d-1efdc52f7f6a.jpeg?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" alt="Image" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://wpimg-wscn.awtmt.com/1cc5631c-1377-43a4-a34d-1efdc52f7f6a.jpeg"/>
At the same time, trading volume in S&amp;P 500 E-mini futures surged suddenly, breaking the previous quiet pre-market trading session.
<img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://wpimg-wscn.awtmt.com/2be1ac32-8c8d-4ecd-9355-d37fdd8b09b9.jpeg?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" alt="Image" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://wpimg-wscn.awtmt.com/2be1ac32-8c8d-4ecd-9355-d37fdd8b09b9.jpeg"/>
Just 15 minutes later, Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social that the U.S. and Iran had recently held &#34;productive conversations,&#34; which immediately triggered a massive sell-off in global energy markets, while S&amp;P 500 futures and European stocks jumped in tandem.
<img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://wpimg-wscn.awtmt.com/ee1339f2-c679-406b-8cd5-a7ff8a7c2627.jpeg?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" alt="Image" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://wpimg-wscn.awtmt.com/ee1339f2-c679-406b-8cd5-a7ff8a7c2627.jpeg"/>
This unusual trading timing has unsettled several hedge funds. Multiple industry insiders stated that this is yet another instance of large-scale abnormal trading before official U.S. government announcements in recent months, and market concerns over information leakage continue to rise.
<h2>Highly Suspicious Timing, Market Participants Point to Anomaly</h2>
According to Financial Times calculations based on Bloomberg data, the approximately 6,200 Brent and WTI futures contracts were traded primarily in the 27 seconds before 6:50 a.m., followed by a jump in S&amp;P 500 futures prices within seconds, with a simultaneous significant surge in trading volume.
Trump released his post at 7:04 a.m., claiming &#34;productive conversations&#34; between the U.S. and Iran. The news triggered a sharp drop in global energy markets as investors scaled back bets on ongoing conflict.
Many market participants expressed high vigilance regarding this timing. A market strategist at a U.S. brokerage stated: &#34;It's hard to prove causality... but you have to wonder, who was so actively selling futures contracts 15 minutes before Trump's post?&#34;
A hedge fund portfolio manager with 25 years of market experience was more direct: &#34;Based on my intuition from observing the market, this is truly abnormal. There was no major data on Monday morning, nor any Fed speakers worth front-running. For a trading day with no event risk, this was an unusually large trade... someone just made a lot of money.&#34;
Tim Skirrow, head of derivatives at energy consultancy Energy Aspects, took a more cautious view. He said Brent and WTI volumes during that period were &#34;higher than typically expected, but not excessively abnormal,&#34; adding that there have been &#34;massive inflows&#34; of funds into Brent futures and options markets in recent weeks. &#34;Given the price reaction, almost everyone was long, which is almost a prerequisite for such a violent move.&#34;
<h2>White House Denies Misconduct, Iran Later Denies Negotiations</h2>
In response to external doubts, White House spokesperson Kush Desai issued a denial. He stated: &#34;The White House does not tolerate any government official using inside information to profit illegally, and any claim suggesting officials engaged in such activities without evidence is baseless and irresponsible reporting.&#34;
The incident did not end there. Late Monday, according to Xinhua News Agency, Ghalibaf posted on social media on Monday the 23rd, denying that negotiations with the U.S. had taken place and calling it &#34;fake news&#34; used to manipulate financial and oil markets.
This series of events has further intensified market worries about information asymmetry. Several hedge funds pointed out that large-scale trades before official U.S. government announcements have not been isolated cases in recent months, and energy consultants have also noticed several block trades with suspicious timing. A trader at a large hedge fund stated that the recurring abnormal trades have caused &#34;a fair amount of frustration&#34; among investors.
Risk Warning and Disclaimer
Markets carry risks, and investment requires caution. This article does not constitute personal investment advice, nor does it consider the specific investment objectives, financial situation, or needs of individual users. Users should consider whether any opinion, view, or conclusion in this article is consistent with their specific circumstances. Investment based on this is at your own risk.

Approximately 15 minutes before Donald Trump posted regarding Iran negotiations, a massive trade with a notional value of up to $580 million appeared in the crude oil market, triggering strong suspicions of insider trading. The timing of the transaction is highly suspicious, and market participants have expressed vigilance over this abnormal activity, citing risks of information leaks. This incident has once again drawn attention to unusual trading prior to U.S. government announcements

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Another Case of Insider Trading? Crude Oil Futures Trading Volume Surges 15 Minutes Before Trump's "TACO" Post