India, March 30 -- Donald Trump has claimed that Iran allowed additional oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz as a 'present' to Washington, even as the conflict in the Middle East deepens and high-stakes negotiations continue behind the scenes.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Trump said Tehran had initially permitted 10 Pakistan-flagged oil tankers to cross the crucial shipping lane, before increasing the number to 20 - a claim that has not been verified yet.

"They gave us 10. Now they're giving 20 and the 20 have already started and they're going right up the middle of the Strait," Trump told FT, framing the move as a gesture from Iran amid ongoing indirect talks.

He added that Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran's pa...