Washington DC, May 5 -- In an escalating war of words paired with a tightening naval stranglehold, US President Donald Trump declared on Tuesday that Iran's military infrastructure has been effectively dismantled, claiming the regime's leadership has been "wiped out" despite their public defiance.

Speaking from the Oval Office during a proclamation signing, the President painted a picture of a broken adversary, asserting that Tehran's private posture in negotiations stands in stark contrast to its state-sponsored rhetoric.

Trump utilised his address to reporters to emphasise what he described as the total erosion of Iranian defensive capabilities. He dismissed the regime's public bravado as a facade for a nation in collapse.

"Iran has ...