President Donald Trump claimed Iran allowed 20 Pakistan-flagged ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, calling it a "present" and evidence that negotiations were progressing. Pakistan's foreign minister Ishaq Dar hailed the gesture as "a harbinger of peace" despite ongoing conflict. Trump suggested the vessels had already begun sailing "right up the middle of the Strait," presenting this as a diplomatic breakthrough.

Shipping analysts immediately questioned Trump's assertions, pointing out only 13 large Pakistan-flagged vessels exist globally according to Lloyd's List Intelligence data. Just three of these ships are currently in the Gulf of Oman, while only two Pakistan-flagged vessels have transited the Strait in the past fortnight. Ship brokers dismissed the claims as "headline, clickbait" and "nuts," with one executive bluntly stating "the president is talking BS."

The shipping disruption has caused Brent crude to soar to $116 a barrel, threatening inflation ahead of US midterm elections. Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf mocked Trump for allegedly manipulating energy markets, saying "They've spammed so much fake news trying to push energy prices down that the market's just numb now." Despite some vessels using an alternative route around Larak Island, normal shipping flows through the Strait remain severely constrained.