By Armando Hernandez
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) They investigate a series of speculative operations in oil markets carried out minutes before key announcements by President Donald Trump about the war with Iran, in a case that has sparked suspicions of possible use of insider information.
According to ABC Files, authorities are analyzing at least four operations in crude oil futures markets for more than $2.6 billion dollars, executed shortly before official messages that caused sharp falls in the price of oil.
The bets consisted of bearish positions on oil, anticipating declines that actually occurred after announcements by Trump and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi related to temporary truces and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
According to data from the London Stock Alternate Community (LSEG) reviewed by ABC Files, The first transaction investigated occurred on March 23, just 15 minutes before Trump announced he would postpone attacks on Iranian energy infrastructure.
In that operation, operators bet more than $500 million dollars on a fall in crude oil and obtained million-dollar profits after the price collapse.
The second maneuver, valued at $960 million, occurred on April 7 before Trump announced a temporary ceasefire.
Another $760 million bet occurred on April 17, just 20 minutes before Araqchí reported on social media that the Strait of Hormuz remained open.
The fourth transaction, for about $430 million, was carried out minutes before Trump indefinitely extended the truce with Tehran to facilitate diplomatic negotiations.
The Reuters agency revealed this Thursday that the pattern of suspicious operations could be much broader than initially reported.
According to the research, Coordinated bets on oil, gasoline and diesel made between March and April would exceed $7 billion.
Reuters indicated that several of the operations were executed on platforms of the CME Community and the Intercontinental Alternate (ICE), just before announcements related to military pauses, diplomatic negotiations and decisions on the Strait of Hormuz.
Experts consulted by the agency described the timing of the operations as “extraordinarily precise” and difficult to explain solely by normal market movements.
Keep reading:
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• Iranian leader says Persian Gulf will have a future without the United States
• “We will win no matter what,” warns Donald Trump about war against Iran
