Trump: Iran agreed to allow 20 more oil ships through Hormuz starting Monday — calls it 'sign of respect'

President Trump announced Sunday night from Air Force One that Iran had agreed to allow 20 more oil cargo ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz starting Monday (March 30). The announcement followed an earlier week when Iran permitted approximately 10 ships to transit the strait — a development Trump also cited as a sign of progress. Trump called the new batch of 20 ships a 'sign of respect' to the United States and cast Tehran's decision as confirmation that negotiations to end the war were underway. It was not immediately clear which ships were included, who owned them, or whether the passage was coordinated through intermediaries. The partial reopening of Hormuz represents a significant economic development: global oil prices had surged 56% since the war began. The incremental ship passages suggest Iran is using Hormuz access as a diplomatic instrument — granting limited reopening to signal willingness to negotiate while maintaining overall closure as leverage.