Iran has reportedly asked Donald Trump to end the blockade of its ports, the US president said in a post on Truth Social on Tuesday, claiming Tehran told him the country was in a " state of collapse ".
Without elaborating on how the message was conveyed, Trump said Iran had urged him to reopen the Strait of Hormuz "as soon as possible" while it attempts to "figure out its leadership situation".
The statement comes after Trump expressed dissatisfaction with Tehran's latest truce proposal, submitted via Pakistani mediators on Sunday. Iran suggested resolving the issue of reopening the key waterway first, while postponing negotiations over its nuclear programme to a later stage.
A report on Israel's Ynet outlet said on Wednesday morning that Israel's involvement in the US negotiations with Iran was "limited" and that Israeli officials "don't know what is really going on" with regards to Trump's tactics.
The Trump administration, however, appears determined to maintain the blockade as its main bargaining chip in ongoing negotiations.
According to a Wall Street Journal report citing US officials, Trump has instructed aides to prepare for a prolonged blockade of Iranian ports . The report suggests he favours sustained economic pressure – particularly on Iran’s oil exports – over the risks associated with renewed military bombardment.
As reports of an indefinite blockade spread, oil prices continued to climb, with global benchmarks rising above $110 for the first time in three weeks on Tuesday.
In a separate move, the US State Department imposed fresh sanctions targeting what it described as Iran’s " shadow banking architecture ", allegedly used to operate a covert financial network worth tens of billions of dollars.
Iran, at least publicly, shows no sign of backing down on the issue of the Strait of Hormuz.
Alaeddin Boroujerdi, deputy chairman of Iran’s National Security Committee, said Tehran would "never give up its control" over the waterway, adding that its missile stockpiles could sustain a prolonged conflict.
Meanwhile, Iran’s military spokesperson, Brigadier General Amir Akrami Nia, stressed that the country "does not consider war inevitable" but is prepared to respond to US threats with "new methods". Gulf leaders 'unified' on Hormuz stance The developments come as Gulf leaders met in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to address the regional crisis triggered by nearly two months of blockade affecting the strategic waterway.
In the first in-person summit since the war began on 28 February, leaders from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) – including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the UAE – gathered in Jeddah at the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
"During the summit, a number of topics related to regional and international developments were discussed", the Saudi Press Agency reported, "along with efforts to coordinate responses".
Officials stressed the urgency of reopening the Strait of Hormuz, with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad saying the meeting "reflects a unified Gulf stance toward the current situation".
Shipping traffic through the strait has dropped by 95.3% since the war began, according to UN figures. The International Maritime Organization reports that nearly 2,000 vessels and around 20,000 sailors remain stranded in the Gulf.
The talks coincided with the UAE announcing its intention to withdraw from OPEC and OPEC+ , citing "national interests".