US President Donald Trump has claimed that Washington now has “almost total control” of the Strait of Hormuz and that Iran’s economy is “totally collapsing”, as the latest exchange of strikes between the two countries deepens tensions across West Asia. 

In a post on Truth Social on Wednesday, hours after the US launched a fresh wave of strikes against Iranian targets, Trump rejected reports that he was attempting to push Tehran back to the negotiating table.

“I’m not trying to force Iran to the bargaining table, as ABC Fake News reported. I couldn’t care less if they sign a worthless, to them, agreement,” Trump wrote.

He added that he preferred the current situation, citing what he described as “almost total control of the Hormuz Strait” and and an Iranian economy that was “totally collapsing”.

“They are just playing out the inevitable." Trump also called on Iranians to challenge their government, asking: “When are the Iranian people going to rise up and fight?”