President Trump said Tuesday that Iran has told the United States it is in a “state of collapse” and is seeking the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, escalating already tense rhetoric surrounding the ongoing conflict and diplomatic maneuvering.
“Iran has just informed us that they are in a ‘State of Collapse,’” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “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!).”
The president did not say who told him or whether he would comply with the request.
The statement comes a day after a reported proposal from Iran was viewed by U.S. officials, including Trump. The proposal would reportedly end the conflict and reopen the strait but postpone any nuclear discussions.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed the proposal Monday, saying Iran’s nuclear program “is the reason why we’re in this in the first place.”
“There’s no doubt in my mind that at some point in the future, if this radical clerical regime remain in charge in Iran, they will decide they want a nuclear weapon,” Rubio told Fox News. “That fundamental issue still has to be confronted. That still remains the core issue here.”
Trump over the weekend stopped the U.S. delegation from traveling to Pakistan for new negotiations involving special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who were expected to fly to Islamabad without Vice President Vance.
The president told reporters on Saturday that Iran “gave us a paper that should have been better,” and that 10 minutes after canceling Witkoff and Kushner’s trip, “we got a new paper that was much better,” according to Bloomberg.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the president had seen the proposal during a Monday briefing.
“I don’t want to get ahead of the president or his national security team,” she said. “What I will reiterate is that the president’s red lines with respect to Iran have been made very, very clear not just to the American public, but also to them as well.”
The developments underscore ongoing uncertainty in U.S.–Iran diplomacy, with mixed signals from Tehran, heightened tensions over nuclear concerns, and no indication from the White House on whether it will respond to Iran’s reported request regarding the Strait of Hormuz or future negotiation tracks in the coming days and weeks ahead.
.jpg)
