US President Donald Trump has instructed aides to prepare for an extended blockade of Iran, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing US officials.

In recent meetings, Trump opted to continue squeezing Iran’s economy and oil exports by preventing shipping to and from its ports, the report says, adding that he believes that his other options, including resuming bombing or walking away from the conflict, carry more risk than maintaining the blockade.

Trump said Tehran had informed the US it was in a “state of collapse” and was figuring out its leadership situation.

Iran’s most recent offer for resolving the two-month ​war would set aside discussion of its nuclear programme until the conflict was concluded and shipping disputes resolved.

But Trump wants nuclear issues dealt with from the outset, a US official briefed on ‌Trump’s meeting with his advisers said.

In a Truth Social post on Tuesday, Trump said: “Iran has just informed us that they are in a ‘State of Collapse’.

They want us to ‘Open the Hormuz Strait,’ as soon as possible, as they try to figure out their leadership situation (Which I believe they will be able to do!).“

It was unclear from his post how Iran might have communicated that message, and there was no immediate response from Tehran to Trump’s latest comments.

Earlier, an Iranian army spokesperson told state media the Islamic Republic did not consider the ​war over.