
$580M oil trades made minutes before Trump’s key Iran announcement draw scrutiny
NY Post
Over half a billion dollars in oil bets were placed just 15 minutes before President Trump announced Monday he was pausing plans to attack Iranian infrastructure, sending prices plunging.
In a narrow window between 6:49 a.m. and 6:50 a.m. Eastern Time, about 6,200 Brent and West Texas Intermediate crude futures trades were placed — a burst of activity valued at about $580 million, according to the Financial Times.
Around the same time, volumes in S&P 500 futures also spiked, with equity markets beginning to move higher just moments later.
Then at 7:04 a.m., Trump posted on Truth Social that the US had engaged in “productive conversations” with Iran and signaled a pause in planned strikes — a message that caught markets off guard.
Oil prices quickly plunged, with crude falling more than 10% on the day, while stock futures surged as investors dialed back expectations of a prolonged conflict.
It was not known exactly how the trades were positioned, though the flurry of activity suggests the bets were on falling oil prices.

Gas prices reach highest level since October 2023 as oil holds above $100 per barrel; US stocks jump
Brent crude oil held above $100 per barrel on Monday, pushing national average gasoline prices to their highest level since October 2023 as President Trump urged allies to help protect oil tankers from Iranian attacks in the key Strait of Hormuz.












