OAN Staff Katherine Mosack
UPDATE: 11:20 AM – Thursday, March 26, 2026 – President Donald Trump has revealed that Iran’s “present” to the United States, which he previously announced, was the passage of 10 oil-carrying ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
At a Cabinet meeting in the White House on Thursday, Trump asked Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff for permission to publicly disclose what the gift was, after keeping it a secret for two days.
“You can do anything you want,” Witkoff answered.
The president explained that while the U.S. conducted talks with what’s left of the leadership in Iran this week, Iranian officials offered to send eight vessels through the otherwise closed-off Strait of Hormuz to prove they were “real” and willing to negotiate.
“’We’re gonna let you have eight boats of oil — eight boats — eight big boats of oil,’” the Iranians said, according to Trump.
“I didn’t think much about it,” Trump admitted. “And then I watched the news … and they said, ‘something unusual is happening, there are eight boats that are going right up the middle of the Hormuz Strait. Eight big tankers are going, loaded up with oil, right through.’ And I said, ‘Well, I guess they were right and they were real.’”
He also recalled that the tankers had Pakistani flags.
“I said, ‘Well, I guess we’re dealing with the right people,’” Trump said, reiterating his stance from Tuesday.
He went on to explain how the number of ships from Iran grew.
“Actually, they then apologized for something they said, and they said, ‘We’re gonna sent two more boats,’” the president recalled. “And it ended up being 10 boats.”
Trump said he felt it was appropriate to share what the gifts were because he had already teased them in the Oval Office on Tuesday, and he hoped that he didn’t “screw up” any negotiations by speaking publicly about the matter.
12:17 PM – Wednesday, March 25, 2026 – During the swearing-in ceremony for incoming Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Iran had provided a “present” worth a “tremendous amount of money” — addressing the global energy crisis caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
However, when reporters questioned whether this indicated that he now trusts Iranian leadership, President Trump dismissed the notion, stating that he doesn’t trust anyone.
When asked why he would negotiate with an adversary he doesn’t trust, Trump then argued that the significance of the “gift” proved he was finally “dealing with the right people” to reach a deal.
“They’re gonna make a deal,” he answered. “They did something yesterday that was amazing, actually. They gave us a present and the present arrived today. It was a very big present, worth a tremendous amount of money.”
He added that by sending the “significant prize” to the U.S., Iran was fulfilling a previous commitment.
“That meant one thing to me: We’re dealing with the right people,” Trump emphasized.
Although Trump did not reveal what the present was, he did clarify that it was related to oil and gas, as opposed to nuclear weaponry.
“It was a very nice thing they did.”
The Strait of Hormuz serves as a critical global artery, funneling approximately one-fifth of the world’s oil supply from the Gulf into the Indian Ocean. While this region accounts for only 2.5% to 7%, at the most, of total U.S. oil imports, its closure has a disproportionate impact on global market prices.
Due to this disparity, President Trump has argued that U.S. allies — who are far more dependent on these exports — must take a lead role in policing and protecting the waterway.
When asked if the United States intended to maintain control of the Strait after the current conflict concludes, Trump was characteristically blunt, asserting, “We’ll have control of anything we want.”
“I think we’re going to end the war.”
Meanwhile, Trump said last week that the U.S. was “getting very close” to fulfilling its objectives in the Middle East, with the administration considering “winding down” its military efforts against the “Terrorist Regime of Iran.”
The Trump administration’s Iran goals:
- Completely degrading Iranian missile capability.
- Destroying Iran’s Defense Industrial Base.
- Eliminating Iran’s navy and air force.
- Preventing Iran from nearing nuclear capability.
- Protecting the U.S.’s Middle Eastern allies.
For months, U.S. officials have engaged in diplomatic efforts to secure a new nuclear deal with Iran, but these negotiations have consistently reached an impasse. The United States maintains a firm policy that the Iranian regime is too volatile to be permitted to develop a nuclear weapon.
While Tehran continues to claim its uranium enrichment programs are strictly for medical and industrial purposes, international monitors have found that they are enriching material to weapons-grade levels — far exceeding the purity required for any civilian application.
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