Iran’s parliamentary speaker used social media over the weekend to give an unusual tip to American investors. He advised them to bet against President Donald Trump’s pre-market comments as markets reacted to new claims from the White House about the war with Tehran.
Hours before U.S. markets opened on Monday, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf posted on X that “Pre-market so-called ‘news’ or ‘Truth’ is often just a setup for profit-taking.”
He added, “Basically, it’s a reverse indicator. Do the opposite: If they pump it, short it. If they dump it, go long. See something tomorrow? You know the drill.” Quartz reported that the post quickly attracted millions of views, with reports of alleged insider trading based on the President’s threats.
Heads-up: Pre-market so-called “news” or “Truth” is often just a setup for profit-taking. Basically, it’s a reverse indicator.
Do the opposite: If they pump it, short it. If they dump it, go long.
See something tomorrow? You know the drill.
— محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) March 29, 2026
The post followed a week where Trump’s remarks on Truth Social seemed to influence stocks and oil prices. According to Quartz, Trump stated last Monday that the United States and Iran were in direct talks and that a “complete and total resolution of hostilities” was close. Futures rose and oil prices fell after that remark, even though Iran publicly denied it.
Quartz later noted that The Wall Street Journal reported the connections were indirect, with intermediaries trying to link U.S. officials to Iranian counterparts while privately doubting that a deal was near.
Trump returned to the platform on Monday with another post that mixed talk of diplomacy with military threats. Reuters reported that Trump claimed the U.S. was in “serious discussions with a new, and more reasonable, regime” in Iran. In the same message, he threatened that if Iran did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz or reach a deal soon, the U.S. could destroy Iranian power plants, oil wells, Kharg Island, and possibly desalination plants.
Markets responded again as MarketWatch reported that U.S. stock-index futures rose after Trump’s latest post, while oil prices also increased as investors tried to make sense of the mixed signals of negotiation and escalation. Barron’s noted that the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq all opened higher, even as crude prices continued to rise due to fears that the conflict could expand.
Ghalibaf’s comments turned that trend into a public topic. Quartz described his message as a straightforward suggestion that Trump’s market-impacting posts should be seen as contrarian signals rather than trustworthy guidance.
“Someone” made a massive $580,000,000 bet shorting oil exactly 15 minutes before Trump’s Truth Social post about Iran peace negotiations.
Blatant market manipulation, insider trading or a little of both? pic.twitter.com/0s2Kl9QLIH https://t.co/2N8hwpB0iK
— Financelot (@FinanceLancelot) March 25, 2026
MarketWatch stated that the Iranian official’s advice reflected a belief already shared by some traders, which is that the sharp market moves tied to Trump’s early-morning social media posts can quickly reverse once more details come out.
The Associated Press reported on Monday that the war had entered its second month, with disruptions to global oil supplies, increased military actions across the region, and growing diplomatic pressure for a negotiated settlement.
Reuters stated that Iran has denied direct discussions with Washington, even though Trump continues to assert that some form of agreement remains possible.
After Trump’s Truth Social statement last week on a potential deal with Iran, an individual made a big trade just 15 minutes before, potentially netting hundreds of millions of dollars in profit, which leaves the question of whether it was luck or someone with insider knowledge knew what the president was going to say.
