Trump says Iran tanker ‘gift’ shows talks working amid leadership uncertainty
Trump announced the ‘gift’ the USA received from Iran
President Donald Trump told a Cabinet meeting at the White House on Thursday that Iran sent at least eight oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz this week as “gifts” to the United States to prove negotiators’ authority.
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President Donald Trump announced Thursday that what he had previously described as a “gift” from Iran involved the passage of several oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, framing it as a sign of progress in ongoing negotiations.
Trump had hinted a day earlier that Iran had made a significant gesture but declined to provide details at the time.
“We’re going to give you eight boats of oil to show you that we’re real and solid and we’re there,” Trump said at a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, adding that the number of tankers had finally reached ten. “I said, I think we’re dealing with the right people.”
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Trump cited the tanker move as evidence that U.S. negotiators are in contact with their Iranian counterparts who can deliver concrete results.
Increasing uncertainty has gripped Iran’s leadership as joint US-Israeli strikes have killed dozens of senior officials and the country’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has been absent from public appearances.
Khamenei, the son of Ali Khamenei, who was killed on the first day of the strikes, gave only written or indirect messages. U.S. and allied intelligence assessments indicate he is likely alive, but his condition, location and level of control remain unclear.
Analysts and officials say Iran’s decision-making may now be divided among rival centers of power, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Trump framed recent tanker movements in the Strait of Hormuz as a sign that U.S. negotiators are in contact with their Iranian counterparts who can get results.
“We’re going to give you eight boats of oil to show you that we’re real and solid and we’re there,” Trump said, adding that the number of tankers eventually reached 10.
“I said, ‘I think we’re dealing with the right people,'” he said.
President Donald Trump on Thursday cited what he called a “gift” from Iran, describing the passage of oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, as evidence that the United States was negotiating with trusted figures within the regime, even though it remained unclear who was calling the shots in Tehran. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)
Amid this uncertainty, reports point to Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Galibaf as a possible interlocutor in back-channel talks. Galibaf, a hardline figure with ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, is seen by some U.S. officials as a potential partner who could negotiate on behalf of the regime.
But both Iranian officials and Ghalibaf publicly denied that any talks with Washington were ongoing, and the White House did not confirm who Tehran’s primary point of contact was.
Iran’s messages were also inconsistent. While US officials and Trump noted the ongoing negotiations, Iranian leaders flatly denied that negotiations were ongoing. At the same time, Iranian officials acknowledged receiving US messages through intermediaries, underscoring the gap between public statements and behind-the-scenes diplomacy.
The conflicting signals underscore the challenge facing U.S. negotiators as they try to identify interlocutors who can both represent Tehran and implement any potential deal.
Bulk Carrier, Belray, in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, at North Ras al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, on 22 March 2026. (Getty Images/Getty Images)
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the transit point for 20 percent of the world’s oil, has slowed dramatically since the US offensive began on February 28.
The United States continues its back-channel talks with Iran, despite tensions being high following recent military strikes and threats that tensions over control of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical transit point for global oil, will escalate further.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday that Iran is examining the 15-point proposal sent by the United States through Pakistani mediators, but has not negotiated with the United States.
Trump gave Iran a 5-day ultimatum to take negotiations seriously or face energy attacks. (Macid Saeedi/Getty Images)
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On Monday, Trump gave Iran a five-day deadline to launch an attack on US energy infrastructure if Iran does not show signs of “success” in mediation. Trump on Thursday refused to say whether he had decided to continue the strikes.
White House envoy Steve Witkoff said Thursday he was seeing “positive signs” after presenting the 15-point plan to the Pakistani government.
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“We’ll see where things go, and if we can convince Iran that this is the turning point, that there are no good alternatives for them other than more death and destruction,” Witkoff said during the Cabinet meeting.
“We have strong indications that this is a possibility, and if a deal does happen, it would be great for the country of Iran.”
