Trump says Iran’s ‘present’ to US was allowing 10 oil tankers through Hormuz

Published 26 Mar, 2026 10:17pm 1 min read
U.S. President Donald Trump, sitting next to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on March 26, 2026. Reuters
U.S. President Donald Trump, sitting next to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on March 26, 2026. Reuters

U.S. President Donald Trumpsaid on Thursday that Iran was letting 10 ​oil tankers transit the Strait of Hormuz as an ‌apparent goodwill gesture in negotiations.

Trump made the comments at a Cabinet meeting in the White House, elaborating on what he ​had previously described as a “present” from Iran.

“They ​said, to show you the fact that we’re ⁠real and solid and we’re there, we’re going ​to let you have eight boats of oil, eight ​boats, eight big boats of oil,” Trump said. “I guess they were right, and they were real, and I think they ​were Pakistani-flagged… It ended up being 10 boats.”

The ​White House did not immediately respond to a request for more ‌details ⁠on the vessels.

Trump’s comments came as he pressed Iran to agree to a deal that would clear the maritime chokepoint and end its nuclear programme.

The U.S. president ​on Tuesday ​had baffled ⁠some observers when he said that Iran had given the United States an ​expensive, energy-related concession. At the time, he ​declined ⁠to say what exactly he meant.

“They gave us a present and the present arrived today, and it was ⁠a ​very big present, worth a tremendous ​amount of money,” Trump told reporters then.

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