PANews reported on March 30 that, according to Xinhua News Agency, US President Trump stated on the 29th that Iran had allowed 10 Pakistani-flagged oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz last week, bringing the total to 20. He told the Financial Times, "These tankers have already set sail and are heading straight through the middle of the strait." Iranian Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf approved the decision. Ghalibaf posted on social media on the 23rd, denying any negotiations with the US. Ghalibaf stated that the purpose of spreading "fake news" was to manipulate the financial and oil markets to extricate the US and Israel from their quagmire.