Trump: Respect the US, Iran to Send 20 Tanker Ships Through the Strait of Hormuz

US President Donald Trump stated that Iran will dispatch 20 oil tankers to the United States via the Strait of Hormuz starting Monday morning (30/3). “Today, they are giving us, as a sign of respect—I don’t know, I can’t define it precisely—but they are giving us, I think as a token of respect, 20 oil tankers will pass through the Strait of Hormuz, and it will begin tomorrow morning,” Trump said to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Washington, DC. Trump assessed the negotiations between Washington and Tehran as progressing positively. “I just want to say that we are doing very well in those negotiations,” he added, as quoted by Anadolu on Monday (30/3). He also noted a high likelihood of reaching an agreement, though he did not rule out the opposite. “I’m quite confident that the US will make a deal with Iran, but there is a possibility we won’t,” he said. Furthermore, Trump emphasised that communication between the two countries is occurring through various channels. “I see an agreement in Iran,” he said, adding that it could happen soon. He also mentioned that negotiations are being conducted both directly and indirectly. When asked about the possibility of deploying ground troops, Trump affirmed that his administration has multiple options. “We have many alternatives,” he continued. Trump also claimed that the negotiation process is moving faster than anticipated. “We are ahead of schedule with Iran. We are several weeks ahead of schedule, and we have a group—this is really a new regime. This is a new group of people, people we haven’t dealt with before, who are acting very reasonably,” he stated. Previously, Iran reportedly rejected the United States’ 15-point plan to end the conflict. Tehran insisted that a ceasefire could only be implemented based on its own terms and timeline. In response, Trump claimed that Iran has provided a response to the proposal. “Yes. They gave us most of the points, why not?” he said. He added that the dispatch of the oil tankers serves as one form of Iran’s seriousness. “Just to prove they are serious, they are giving us all these ships,” he concluded.