Washington: Donald Trump said Iran had informed him it was in a “state of collapse” and was trying to determine its leadership situation, as efforts to end the conflict appeared to be at an impasse on Tuesday, with the US president expressing dissatisfaction over Tehran’s latest proposals.
Iran’s most recent proposal to resolve the two-month war suggested postponing discussions on its nuclear programme until the conflict had ended and disputes over Gulf shipping were settled.
Trump wants nuclear issues to be addressed from the outset, a US official briefed on his Monday meeting with advisers said.
In a post on Truth Social on Tuesday, Trump stated: “Iran has just informed us that they are in a ‘State of Collapse’. 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!). Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
It was not clear from Trump’s social media post how Iran may have communicated this message.
Gulf leaders meet in Saudi Arabia
Meanwhile, Gulf leaders met in person in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for the first time since their states became a frontline in the Iran war. A Gulf official said the meeting aimed to formulate a response to the thousands of Iranian missile and drone attacks they had faced since the US and Israel launched the war on Iran on February 28.
Attacks have subsided since a ceasefire on April 8, though Gulf capitals remain cautious about a possible resumption of hostilities.
Iran’s previous nuclear agreement with the United States and other powers in 2015 significantly restricted its nuclear programme, which Tehran has consistently maintained is intended for peaceful, civilian purposes. However, the deal collapsed after Trump withdrew from it during his first term in office.
Hopes of reviving peace efforts in the conflict — which has killed thousands, disrupted global trade routes, and shaken energy markets — have diminished since Trump cancelled a planned visit by his special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner to mediator Pakistan.
Abbas Araqchi travelled in and out of Islamabad twice over the weekend. He also visited Oman and later went to Russia on Monday, where he met Vladimir Putin and received support from a long-standing ally.