US President Donald Trump on Tuesday claimed that Iran is in a “state of collapse” and that Tehran has asked Washington to reopen the Strait of Hormuz “as soon as possible.”
“Iran has just informed us that they are in a ‘State of Collapse’,” Trump wrote on his social media platform TruthSocial. “They want us to ‘Open the Hormuz Strait,’ as soon as possible, as they try to figure out their leadership situation (Which I believe they will be able to do!)”
He did not provide details on the communication, and there has been no immediate confirmation from Iranian officials.
Trump’s remarks come as reports indicate he is dissatisfied with a proposal from Tehran to reopen the strait and move toward ending the US-Israeli war on Iran. According to The New York Times, Trump was briefed on the plan during a White House Situation Room meeting on Monday, citing anonymous sources.
The proposal reportedly calls for the US to end its blockade of the Iranian ports, while extending or making permanent a ceasefire and launching nuclear talks only after maritime restrictions are lifted. It does not address Iran’s nuclear program, a key sticking point for Washington.
This came after the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, which retaliated with strikes on Israel and other regional countries hosting US assets.
The US-Israeli operations killed more than 3,300 people, according to Iranian officials, before Washington and Tehran announced a two-week ceasefire on April 8 mediated by Pakistan.
While originally scheduled to expire on April 22, Trump announced an indefinite extension of the truce on April 21 at the request of Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and military chief Asim Munir.
