Trump claims Iran 'collapsing' ahead of sanctions announcement

WASHINGTON, Aug 24: President Donald Trump said Monday that Iran is "collapsing" hours before the US government was set to announce details of what it says will be crushing sanctions against Tehran.

"Iran is completely collapsing!!!" Trump posted in his trademark all-caps style on his social media platform Truth Social.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, in a column for the Financial Times, declared that an "economic D-Day" had begun against Tehran on Monday and said any country that continued to enable the Islamic republic would become a "global pariah".

The US and Israel linked the launch of their war in February to Iran's nuclear programme, but the focus since the early days of fighting has been on the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global oil and gas supplies.

Tehran continues to blockade the strait, which it did not restrict before the war, driving up global inflation and heaping domestic pressure on US President Donald Trump ahead of mid-term elections in November.�"AFP