Swapna Kumbar , Bengaluru - President Donald Trump claimed Iran has privately informed the US it's in a state of collapse, signaling severe internal pressure from the ongoing war and economic blockade, even as ceasefire efforts remain deadlocked. Iranian officials fired back that Washington can no longer dictate terms, insisting any deal must respect Tehran's sovereignty while the Strait of Hormuz stays closed amid stalled diplomacy.

Trump's statement follows reports of his aides preparing for an extended naval blockade, rejecting Iran's Hormuz first proposal that offered to reopen the strait before nuclear talks. Sources say Tehran communicated distress over collapsing oil revenues, currency freefall, and proxy setbacks but refuses nuclear caps or missile limits as preconditions. US officials interpret this as leverage for total capitulation. Iran's Foreign Ministry countered that the state of collapse narrative is US propaganda, vowing resilience while blaming Trump's maximum pressure for killing mediation. Ceasefire talks via Pakistan and Oman have collapsed, with both sides digging in: Washington demands verifiable denuclearization, Tehran seeks blockade lift without concessions.

Trump's collapse claim escalates psychological warfare as Iran's economy buckles under blockade, but Tehran's defiance signals no quick surrender. With ceasefire at standstill, prolonged Hormuz closure risks oil shock and wider conflict unless one side blinks first.