Trump says Iran in 'state of collapse,' peace talks stall

US President Donald Trump claimed Tuesday that Iran has communicated it is in a "state of collapse" and is desperate for the United States to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as negotiations between the two countries continue to stall. Trump made the announcement on Truth Social, stating that Iranian leaders are fighting among themselves and struggling to resolve their leadership situation after the US eliminated "two levels of leaders." The US official told Reuters that Trump was dissatisfied with Iran's latest peace proposal because it failed to address the nuclear program upfront. Under the Iranian proposal, nuclear discussions would be delayed until the war, currently paused under a US-Iran ceasefire agreement, is officially ended and the dispute over the Strait of Hormuz is resolved. The breakdown in negotiations follows the cancellation of a planned diplomatic mission to Pakistan last weekend. Trump's negotiators, Steven Witkoff and Jared Kushner, were set to meet with Iranian officials in Islamabad, but the trip was scrapped after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi departed for Oman and Russia. Trump explained that the meeting would have involved only lower-level officials rather than national leadership, and that Iran suddenly submitted a better proposal within minutes of the US announcing the cancellation. Despite the improved document, no in-person meetings have been scheduled, with Trump stating that a proposed Tuesday meeting was too far away. In a separate development Tuesday, the Idemitsu Maru became the first Japanese-linked tanker to cross the Strait of Hormuz since the conflict began, carrying two million barrels of oil from Saudi Arabia. Additionally, the United Arab Emirates announced it would exit OPEC starting May 1, citing a review of its production policy and its "national interest," amid ongoing disruptions from the Hormuz blockade and attacks on regional refineries. The UAE's departure reduces the organization from 12 to 11 member countries, though OPEC still controls approximately 80 percent of global oil reserves.