President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Iran had delivered what he described as a “very big present” to the United States, pointing to the move as a sign of progress in negotiations taking place during the ongoing conflict.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump dismissed the notion that trust plays any role in his dealings with Tehran. When asked why he would rely on Iranian commitments, he replied, “I don’t trust anybody. I don’t trust you. I mean, that’s only because I know you. But if I didn’t know you, I’d probably have more trust. But I don’t trust anyone.”

He challenged the premise of the question itself, making clear that trust is not a factor in his approach. “Why do you say that? Why do you say what makes you trust? Do you think I trust them? I don’t trust them.”

.@POTUS provides an update on discussions amid Operation Epic Fury pic.twitter.com/3P6gH4ku8t

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 24, 2026

Despite that stance, Trump said negotiations were continuing because he believes an agreement is within reach. “Because they’re going to make a deal. They’re going to make a deal.”

The president pointed to a recent development he described as significant evidence that talks are moving forward. “They did something yesterday that was amazing, actually. They gave us a present, and the present arrived today. It was a very big present, worth a tremendous amount of money. And I’m not going to tell you what that present is, but it was a very significant prize, and they gave it to us.”

He clarified that the action was not connected to nuclear matters, but rather involved energy resources. “No, it wasn’t nuclear-related. It was oil and gas-related, and it was a very nice thing they did.”

Trump said the gesture reinforced his view that U.S. negotiators are dealing with the right figures in Iran’s leadership, which he claimed has been largely dismantled. “What it showed me is that we’re dealing with the right people,” he said, noting that much of Iran’s leadership had been eliminated. “The leadership was killed, all gone. Khamenei, all gone, as the expression goes. The past Supreme Leader. And then the new Supreme Leader was racked up – at a minimum, racked up pretty good. And everyone else was gone.”

He added that lower-level officials have also been removed, but emphasized that those currently in place have followed through on their commitments. “The present, the gift they made to us, was very significant. And they said they were going to do it, and it happened. And they’re the only ones that could have done it.”

When pressed on whether the development was tied to the Strait of Hormuz, Trump confirmed the connection. “Yeah, it was related to the flow and to the Strait,” he said.

He rejected the idea that talks were centered on negotiating control of the strategic passage. “No, we’re going to – we’ll have control of anything we want,” Trump stated.

Trump said he would prefer to bring the conflict to a close without further destruction or loss of life. “If we can end this without more lives being lost, without knocking out $10 billion electric plants that are brand new and the apple of their eye, I’d like to be able to do that,” he said.

At the same time, he reiterated that key demands remain non-negotiable. “They can’t have certain things. I mean, you know the things. I don’t have to go over the list, but again, it starts with no nuclear weapons, and they’ve agreed to that. There won’t be any nuclear weapons. They’re not going to have – and they’re not going to have enrichment, any of those things.”

Trump said the United States is currently negotiating from a position of strength. “I hate to say that we’re in a very good bargaining position, but – and I hate to say that they’re defenseless, because, you know, until that last missile is fired, they have a little power. But we are in about the best bargaining position. We’re way ahead of schedule.”

He also described what he said was extensive damage to Iran’s military capabilities. “They have no Navy, and they have no Air Force, and they have no missile protection, and most of their missiles are gone. Most of their launchers we’ve killed – you know, we’ve killed about 82 percent of their launchers. So, even if they had a missile, they can’t launch it.”

Trump closed by underscoring U.S. military superiority. “We have the greatest military in the world. Nobody even comes close. We have the best military equipment in the world.”