President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social Tuesday morning, April 28, 2026, that Iran had “informed us” it was in “a State of Collapse” and wanted the United States to “Open the Hormuz Strait, as soon as possible.” The post, which did not cite supporting evidence, came as the White House continues to weigh Iran’s Monday proposal to reopen the strait if the U.S. lifts its naval blockade.
“They want us to ‘Open the Hormuz Strait,’ as soon as possible, as they try to figure out their leadership situation,” Trump wrote, framing the negotiating posture as one of overwhelming U.S. leverage. The post appeared to formalize what has been the President’s consistent message since the start of the conflict: that the U.S. blockade is an effective economic strangulation tool and that Iran must come to terms on U.S. conditions, including nuclear program restraints.
The Iranian government did not immediately respond to the “State of Collapse” framing. Iranian state media earlier in the day emphasized that the proposal submitted Monday was a serious diplomatic effort and accused Washington of negotiating in bad faith. Pro-government demonstrators rallied in Tehran on Monday in what state media described as a show of national resilience.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt declined Tuesday afternoon to characterize the proposal as actively under consideration, saying instead 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.” She added that Trump and his national security team had discussed the matter Monday morning and would announce any decision directly.
The conflict has now extended into its ninth week, with the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed to commercial traffic since mid-March. Iran reportedly lost track of mines it laid in the strait, complicating any technical reopening even after a political deal is reached. Trump on April 22 ordered the U.S. Navy to “shoot and kill” Iranian small boats observed laying mines, formalizing rules of engagement that previously governed only defensive operations.
Markets read the post as further reducing the probability of a near-term agreement. WTI crude rallied to $99.93 and Brent to $111.26 by Tuesday’s close, both at multi-week highs. The U.S. retail gasoline national average rose to $4.144 per gallon, also a multi-year high. For continuous coverage, see the geopolitics dashboard, oil price dashboard, and U.S. gas prices by state.