He Views This Gift as a Sign of “Regime Change” in the Asian Nation
U.S. President Donald Trump asserted on Tuesday that Iranian authorities have given the United States “a very big gift,” which he linked to the Strait of Hormuz—a vital waterway blocked by Tehran in retaliation for U.S. and Israeli attacks against its territory since February 28.
“They gave us a gift, and the gift arrived today. It was a very important gift, of incalculable value, and I’m not going to tell you what it is, but it was a very significant prize,” he noted in remarks to the press from the Oval Office of the White House.
The President stated that the gift is “related to oil and gas,” later adding that it has to do “with the flow [of crude], with the Strait”—referring to this key global trade passage located in the Persian Gulf.
The Republican leader suggested that the alleged gift from Iranian authorities demonstrates that his administration is “dealing with the right people.” “They are the only ones who could have done it,” he declared, framing the event as proof of “regime change” in Iran.
“We are truly witnessing a regime change. It is a regime change because the leaders are very different from the ones we had at the beginning—the ones who created all those problems,” he stated.
Trump also referred to his remarks from the previous day, when he asserted that his administration had held “very solid talks” with Iran on Sunday and that these would continue on Monday, pointing to an “important” consensus on the key points for a potential pact with Tehran to bring an end to the conflict. “They are not going to have nuclear weapons. We are discussing that. I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but they have agreed that they will never possess nuclear weapons. They have given their consent,” he asserted—despite the fact that Iran has denied the existence of any negotiations with Washington, attributing Trump’s announcement to an attempt to manipulate oil prices.
Earlier this Monday, the U.S. President announced a five-day postponement of the ultimatum issued to Iran—which was set to expire on Monday—in which he demanded that Tehran allow free passage through the Strait of Hormuz, warning that he would otherwise strike its power plants.
