A sharp spike in oil trading volumes shortly before U.S. President Donald Trump announced a delay in planned strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure has raised questions in global markets over possible prior knowledge of the decision.
According to market data reviewed by international media, traders placed hundreds of millions of dollars in oil bets just minutes before Trump said the United States would postpone attacks on Iranian power facilities for five days. Reuters reported that more than $500 million in oil futures trades were placed in a narrow window shortly before the announcement.
The announcement triggered an immediate market reaction, with oil prices falling sharply within minutes. Reuters said Brent crude dropped from around $112 to about $99 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate fell from roughly $99 to $86. Separate reports said the decline briefly reached about 14%, allowing traders who anticipated the move to potentially make major profits.
Analysts say the timing of the trades is unusual enough to prompt scrutiny over whether some investors may have acted on advance information. However, no regulator has publicly concluded that wrongdoing took place, and the identities of the traders have not been disclosed.
Trump’s post had said the United States was delaying military action because of what he described as constructive talks with Iran. But Iran later denied that any such negotiations had taken place, adding further uncertainty to the market reaction.
The incident has added a new layer of controversy to an already volatile oil market, with the war-driven disruption in the Middle East continuing to keep energy prices and investor sentiment highly unstable.
(Source: Reuters)
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