Venture Global Stock Rises As Iran Disputes Trump Talks

Venture Global Inc (NASDAQ:VG) shares are jumping higher on Tuesday as oil and gas stocks rally. Crude prices resumed their climb after Iranian state media rejected President Donald Trump's claim that U.S.–Iran talks were underway to ease tensions in the Middle East. Venture Global shares are powering higher. What’s driving VG stock higher? Why Oil Is Surging Again Trump suggested early Monday that "productive" discussions with Iran were taking place and that the U.S. was considering a temporary pause in planned strikes. Markets initially took that as a sign of de‑escalation, and crude briefly plunged nearly 8%. By Tuesday, however, Iranian outlets dismissed the idea of any talks, calling Trump's comments inaccurate. With no diplomatic progress and military activity intensifying across the region, oil prices snapped back. Conflict Intensifies Across the Middle East Tensions in the region continued to climb as new developments emerged across multiple fronts. Officials in Iraq's Kurdish region accused Iran of firing ballistic missiles at peshmerga positions, an attack that left six fighters dead and roughly 30 others wounded. At the same time, Iran's Revolutionary Guard escalated its rhetoric toward Israel, accusing it of taking advantage of wartime chaos to carry out widespread abuses in Lebanon and Palestine. The IRGC warned that if Israel presses ahead, Iran is prepared to unleash large‑scale missile and drone attacks without restraint. The warnings extended to Washington as well. Mohsen Rezaee, a senior IRGC commander and influential member of Iran's Expediency Council, said Iran would cripple U.S. forces and target American ships in the Arabian Gulf if the U.S. hits Iranian infrastructure. Hostilities intensified further early Tuesday when Iran launched another wave of missiles at Tel Aviv. Israeli outlets reported several impact sites across the city, damage to at least one building, and four people with minor injuries. Suspiciously Timed Trades Draw Attention The timing of Trump's Monday post is also raising questions. The Financial Times reported that roughly 6,200 Brent and WTI futures contracts — worth about $580 million — traded between 6:49 and 6:50 a.m. ET, just 15 minutes before Trump's message. Both crude and S&P 500 futures saw an unusual spike in volume during that minute, and it remains unclear who placed the trades. Iranian officials dismissed the idea of ongoing negotiations, calling the reports "fake news" meant to influence markets — a denial that helped fuel Tuesday's rebound in energy stocks. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz questioned on X whether any officials traded ahead of Trump's post, while economist Peter Schiff wondered whether the situation pointed to market manipulation or simply reflected disorder inside the administration. VG Price Action: Venture Global shares were up 7.47% at $16.98 at the time of publication on Tuesday, according to Benzinga Pro. Image: Who is Danny/Shutterstock.com