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Read more U.S.-Iran war news
- Vance expects U.S. negotiations with Iran on war will be 'positive'
- White House warned staff against making Iran war bets on prediction markets
- Trump says Iran 'better stop' if it's charging oil tankers to transit Hormuz strait
- Hormuz strait oil traffic way down after ceasefire; Hassett says even one tanker is big
- Iran war has been an enormous financial windfall for Russia: former IEA oil head
- NATO's Rutte told allies Trump wants Hormuz commitments within days, diplomats say
- Britain to call for toll-free Strait of Hormuz, Lebanon to be part of ceasefire
- Rep. Ritchie Torres calls for probe into trades ahead of March pause in Iran strike
- Trump Iran ceasefire updates: Strait of Hormuz toll confusion remains
- U.S. has violated ceasefire agreement, Iran parliamentary speaker says
- Trump threatens tariffs of 50% on nations supplying weapons to Iran
- Spanish PM says fire starters don't deserve applause as he welcomes Iran ceasefire
- Trump, Iran agree to two-week ceasefire, plan to open Strait of Hormuz
- Trump faces calls for removal over threats to wipe out 'whole civilization' in Iran
- Pakistan seeks 2-week pause after Trump warns 'whole civilization will die' if no deal
- U.S.-Iran war 'tax' begins to hit American businesses and consumers
- India makes first Iranian oil purchase in seven years
- U.S. fighter jet shot down in Iran, one crew member rescued: MS NOW
- Defense startups eye Iran war windfall as U.S., Gulf states turn to tech
- Trump threatens to destroy Iranian infrastructure
- Trump speech paints grim picture for oil — over 600M barrels at risk
- Army chief of staff fired by Hegseth, sources say
- Iran and Oman drafting protocol to 'monitor' Hormuz Strait traffic: IRNA
- Iran demands guaranteed ceasefire to end war permanently: Reuters
- Analysis: Trump's Iran speech ignores the risks of a return to the 1970s
- Iran's war propaganda homes in on Trump with Lego memes
- Trump Iran speech: War is nearly over, vows 'extremely hard' hits coming
- Trump says Iran wants ceasefire, U.S. wants Hormuz Strait open first
- More from CNBC Politics
The White House, asked for comment about the Journal's report, did not deny that staff were sent the warning on making prediction market bets on Iran, but noted that all federal employees are barred from trading or placing bets on inside information.
"Any implication that Administration officials are engaged in such activity without evidence is baseless and irresponsible reporting," White House spokesman Davis Ingle said in an email to CNBC on Friday.
"President Trump has been crystal clear: while he seeks a strong and profitable stock market for everyone, members of Congress and other government officials should be prohibited from using nonpublic information for financial benefit," Ingle said.
The surge in popularity of prediction markets, including Kalshi and Polymarket, has been accompanied by growing questions about proper regulation and the potential for insider trading.
Rep. Ritchie Torres, a New York Democrat, earlier this week sent a letter to Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Paul Atkins and Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chair Michael Selig calling for an investigation into the irregular market activity that preceded Trump's March 23 announcement.
"What kind of trader would make a massive trade at 6:49 a.m., 15 minutes before a market-moving presidential announcement with billions of dollars at stake and without a hedge?" Torres asked in an interview with CNBC on Wednesday.
"The only plausible answer to that question is an insider trader," Torres said. "Any other alternative is a statistical impossibility."
Kalshi and Polymarket both announced they were tightening rules around insider trading on their platforms in separate statements released on the same day in March.
