Bloomberg estimated the value of oil contracts that changed hands between 1049 and 1050 GMT was $650 million. At 1105 GMT, Trump stepped back from a threat to attack Iranian energy sites, citing "very good" talks to end the war in a social media post. The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the US regulator of financial derivatives, did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment. - 'Mind-blowing corruption' -Similarly, S&P 500 stock index futures showed an unusual burst of trading activity early Monday, about 15 minutes before Trump's social media post, CNBC reported. He added that the activity could have been driven by a large producer hedging against a potential price drop, given that oil futures had surged 40 percent since the start of the war.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha March 25, 2026 04:12 UTC