$950 Million Short, Two Perfect Timings: The Suspicion of Insider Trading in Crude Oil Before Trump's Ceasefire
On April 7, 2026, approximately three hours before former President Trump announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran, an unusually large sell order of 8,600 crude oil futures contracts (worth $950 million) was executed during a low-liquidity trading window. This triggered a 15% drop in oil prices the next day. A nearly identical trading pattern occurred on March 22, just minutes before Trump delayed strikes on Iranian energy facilities.
The trades, involving both Brent and WTI crude, displayed a repeated "signature" of 6,200 contracts, suggesting possible insider trading. In the March 22 incident, the oil short was accompanied by coordinated long positions in S&P 500 E-mini futures and additional WTI shorts, forming a paired trade betting on de-escalation.
Similar suspicious activity was observed on the prediction market Polymarket, where newly created wallets placed large, winning bets on a ceasefire just before the announcement.
U.S. Representative Ritchie Torres has called for an SEC and CFTC investigation. While federal agencies have recently reduced enforcement actions, the New York Attorney General is separately investigating using the state’s powerful Martin Act, which does not require proving intent to defraud.
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