Donald Trump has issued a stern message to Iran, urging the nation to “get their act together” concerning the U.S. demands to halt its nuclear program, and advised them to “get smart soon,” amid a surge in oil prices.

In a bizarre post to Truth Social, the US President shared an apparently AI-generated image of himself wielding a large gun while surrounded by explosions with the caption: ‘No more Mr. Nice Guy!’

He further cautioned the Iranian regime with his comments: “Iran can’t get their act together. They don’t know how to sign a nonnuclear deal. They better get smart soon!”

Concurrently, the cost of Brent Crude, recognized as the global oil benchmark, has soared to $115 per barrel as negotiations to resolve the conflict with Iran seem to be at an impasse.

Since the early morning, oil prices have seen an over 3% increase, with West Texas Intermediate, the U.S. oil benchmark, climbing past $103.

Reports suggest that Trump has instructed his team to brace for a prolonged blockade of Iran, aimed at depleting the regime’s financial resources.

The Wall Street Journal has indicated that the U.S. president’s strategy is to weaken Tehran’s economic position to diminish its bargaining power in talks.

US officials told the newspaper that the blockade is crushing Iran’s economy, as the regime struggles to store the surplus of unsold oil it has.

In a bizarre post to Truth Social, the US president shared an apparently AI-generated image of himself wielding a large gun

The price of Brent Crude – the international benchmark for oil – has risen to $115 per barrel

The Islamic Republic this week submitted a plan that would reportedly see it ease the chokehold and Washington lift its retaliatory blockade on the country’s ports as talks continued, including over its nuclear programme.

While US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran’s proposal was ‘better than what we thought they were going to submit’, he insisted any eventual deal had to be ‘one that definitively prevents them from sprinting towards a nuclear weapon’.

Iranian defence ministry spokesman Reza Talaei-Nik said Washington ‘must abandon its illegal and irrational demands’, adding the United States was ‘no longer in a position to dictate its policy to independent nations’.

Qatar warned of the possibility of a ‘frozen conflict’ if a definitive resolution is not found.

Concerns about the stalled peace push have pushed crude prices higher for more than a week, with Trump’s decision to cancel his envoys’ trip for peace talks in Pakistan last weekend adding to the downbeat mood.

Brent is above the level it hit before the two sides announced a ceasefire at the start of April, while West Texas Intermediate broke $100 on Tuesday for the first time in two weeks.

It comes as Trump met with oil and gas executives at the White House yesterday, Axios reported.

Among the attendees was Chevron CEO Mike Wirth. White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were also at the meeting.

A White House official told the media outlet: ‘The president meets with energy executives frequently to get their feedback on domestic and international energy markets.’

They added that domestic production, progress in Venezuela, oil futures, natural gas and shipping were all discussed.

Meanwhile, US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent has claimed Iran will lose an additional $170million (£126million) in oil revenues every day when Kharg Island reaches its maximum storage capacity.

Bessent said US intervention was causing ‘permanent damage to Iran’s oil infrastructure’, including Kharg Island.

The island is responsibly for roughly 90 per cent of Iran’s oil exports.

He also claimed inflation has doubled in Iran, writing on social media: ‘The Treasury Department, through Economic Fury, has targeted Iran’s international shadow banking infrastructure, access to crypto, shadow fleet, weapons procurement networks, funding for terrorist proxies in the region, and independent Chinese ‘teapot’ refineries that support Iran’s oil trade.

‘These actions have disrupted tens of billions of dollars in revenue that would be used to fund terrorism. Under the president’s maximum pressure campaign, Tehran’s inflation has doubled and its currency has rapidly depreciated.

‘Kharg Island, Iran’s primary oil export terminal, is soon nearing storage capacity, which will force the regime to reduce oil production, resulting in an additional approximately $170million per day in lost revenue, and causing permanent damage to Iran’s oil infrastructure.’

On Tuesday, Trump claimed that Iran wants to open the Strait of Hormuz ‘as soon as possible.’

In a post to Truth Social, the US president said Iranian officials told the 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!)’, he added.

And in his latest attack on a Nato ally, Trump slammed German chancellor Friedrich Merz after the leader claimed the US was being ‘humiliated’ by Iran.

In a post to Truth Social, Trump last night said German chancellor Friedrich Merz ‘doesn’t know what he’s talking about’ when it comes to Iran.

He wrote: ‘The Chancellor of Germany, Friedrich Merz, thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about! If Iran had a Nuclear Weapon, the whole World would be held hostage.

‘I am doing something with Iran, right now, that other Nations, or Presidents, should have done long ago. No wonder Germany is doing so poorly, both Economically, and otherwise!’