Iran gave US 10 oil boats through Hormuz as gift via Pak-flagged tankers: Trump

US President Donald Trump said Iran is allowing “ten boats of oil” to pass through the Strait of Hormuz as a goodwill gesture in ongoing backchannel talks, adding that the tankers appear to be operating under Pakistani flags.

The revelation came after Trump hinted on Tuesday that Iran delivered a "very significant prize" to the United States, signalling that the move could be tied to the Strait of Hormuz – one of the world’s most critical oil transit routes.

Speaking during a Cabinet meeting briefing on Thursday at the White House, Trump suggested the development reflected active, though largely undisclosed, engagement between Washington and Tehran.

“They said, to show you the fact that we’re real and solid, we’re going to let you have eight boats of oil, eight big boats of oil,” Trump said.

He added that the initial group of tankers began moving through the strategically critical waterway days ago, something he



said he fully realised only after seeing news coverage. “I watched the news, and they said something’s unusual happening. There are eight boats going right up the middle of the Hormuz Strait,” he said. “Eight big tankers loaded up with oil right through. And I said, well, I guess they were right.”

However, the number of tankers later increased following what Trump described as a follow-up gesture from Iran. “They then apologised for something they said, and they said, we’re going to send two more boats,” he said. “And it ended up being 10 boats.”

Trump further noted that the vessels appeared to be “Pakistani flagged,” pointing to Islamabad’s emerging role not just in diplomacy but also in the logistics surrounding the reported movement.

The President framed the episode as evidence that Washington was “dealing with the right people,” suggesting the tanker movement was linked to broader negotiations taking place behind the scenes.