WASHINGTON — President Trump claimed Tuesday that Iran has privately admitted to being in a “state of collapse” under pressure from the United States and is desperate to get the Strait of Hormuz reopened.
Since April 13, Trump has imposed a sweeping blockade to stop Iranian ships from traversing the crucial waterway as part of a pressure campaign to free up the critical waterway.
“Iran has just informed us that they are in a ‘State of Collapse,'” the president posted 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!).”
President Trump listens in the Oval Office. APOver the weekend, the Trump administration pulled back from planned face-to-face talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, after the president extended a cease-fire that has been in place since April 8.
Top Trump administration officials have repeatedly claimed that negotiations with Iran have been foiled by a leadership crisis within the theocratic regime and mixed messages that they’ve been privately receiving behind the scenes.
“They’re deeply fractured internally,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox News’ Trey Yingst. “And I think that’s always been the case, but I think it’s far more pronounced now.”
“Iran has just informed us that they are in a ‘State of Collapse,'” the president posted 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!).” AP“But there are hardliners who understand they have to run a country and an economy, and there are hardliners that are completely motivated by theology.”
Trump has repeatedly made claims about a deal with Iran being imminent or Iran agreeing to major concessions, such as agreeing to give the US its “nuclear dust” and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, where over a fifth of the world’s seaborne oil supplies once flowed through annually.
Many of those supposed concessions have yet to pan out, something Trump blamed on infighting within the regime.
Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, seen from Musandam, Oman. REUTERSIranian negotiators have resisted making concessions on the country’s nuclear programs, which has been Trump’s central demand.
Trump has also publicly warned that the blockade on Iranian ships has put pressure on the regime’s oil infrastructure due to Iran being stymied from moving the petroleum coming through its pipes.
Follow The Post’s coverage on the latest in the peace deal with Iran:
- Fed-up Trump threatens to ‘blow the s–t’ out of Iran — prompting Tehran to storm out of US peace talks
- Vance suggests US, Iran could ‘transform’ relationship but Tehran officials insist they’re not making friends: ‘Primary option is jihad’
- Trump vows to ‘hit Iran very hard again’ if Tehran doesn’t rein in Hezbollah
- Strait of Hormuz closing again, IRGC announces — as US Central Command says commercial traffic has ‘increased’
“When you have, you know, lines of vast amounts of oil pouring through your system, if for any reason that line is closed because you can’t continue to put it into containers or ships … what happens is that line explodes from within,” Trump told Fox News’ “The Sunday Briefing.”
Top military brass have noted that, in addition to blockading Iran’s ports near the Strait of Hormuz, the US military is also in pursuit of vessels tied to the regime that are traveling worldwide. REUTERS“They say they only have about three days left before that happens,” Trump added. “And when it explodes, you can never, regardless, you can never rebuild it the way it was.”
Those claims about Iran’s oil infrastructure being on the brink of exploding have not been independently confirmed.
Top military brass have noted that, in addition to blockading Iran’s ports near the Strait of Hormuz, the US military is also in pursuit of vessels tied to the regime that are traveling worldwide.
