Iran agreed not to have nuclear weapon, sent ‘big present’ to US, claims Trump

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday claimed that Iran has agreed never to develop a nuclear weapon and suggested that Tehran had offered a “significant prize” linked to the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, even as he declared victory in the recently concluded three-week conflict.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said Iran was now inclined to “make a deal” with the United States. He indicated that vice-president J.D. Vance, secretary of state Marco Rubio, special Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, and adviser Jared Kushner were leading ongoing negotiations.

Trump also suggested that Iran’s political leadership had undergone major changes following the conflict, describing the shift as effectively amounting to a “regime change”.

“It’s what we really have — a change in the regime, because the leaders are all very different from the ones we started off with,” he said.

Without revealing specifics, Trump claimed Iran had extended a “very big present” to the US tied to oil and gas interests in the Strait of Hormuz — one of the world’s most critical energy corridors.

“They did something yesterday that was amazing… They gave us a present worth a tremendous amount of money,” he said, adding that the gesture signalled Washington was now “dealing with the right people.”

Reiterating his administration’s stance, Trump asserted that the US had decisively won the conflict. He claimed American forces had crippled Iran’s military capabilities, including its nuclear programme.

“We obliterated their nuclear potential,” he said, arguing that Iran was weeks away from acquiring a nuclear weapon before US strikes intervened.

US defence secretary Pete Hegseth backed the president’s claims, stating that Iran’s military had been “rapidly and historically defeated” through overwhelming American firepower.

However, Iran strongly pushed back against Trump’s assertions. Iranian officials denied agreeing to permanently abandon their nuclear programme, reiterating that their nuclear activities remain peaceful and within sovereign rights. They also rejected any suggestion of “regime change,” calling such remarks “baseless” and “propaganda”.

Tehran further dismissed claims of offering any “significant prize” to Washington, particularly regarding oil or gas concessions in the Strait of Hormuz. Officials maintained that no such undisclosed agreement had been made and emphasised that any future negotiations would be conducted transparently and in line with national interests.

Earlier, Trump had endorsed a social media post by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who highlighted Islamabad’s role in facilitating dialogue between Washington and Tehran and offered to host talks aimed at a broader settlement.

The contrasting narratives underscore lingering tensions despite signs of a possible diplomatic opening, with key details of any potential agreement — including the nature of the purported “significant prize” — remaining unclear.

With PTI inputs