International
oi-Ashish Rana
Iran’s state media has openly mocked US President Donald Trump after he claimed Washington was on the verge of a peace deal with Tehran that could bring America “free oil” and “free Hormuz Strait”. The sharp response from Tehran came even as negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme continue to face deep disagreements over uranium enrichment and long-term restrictions.
US President Donald Trump claimed a peace deal with Iran was nearing completion, promising free oil and Hormuz control, but Iran’s state media mocked these claims as unrealistic amid deep disagreements over uranium enrichment in nuclear talks.
The exchange highlights the wide gap between Trump’s confident public messaging and Iran’s sceptical stance, with Tehran making it clear that it sees the US president’s claims as exaggerated and detached from the reality of the talks.
Iran state media uses old Persian proverb to target Trump
Iran’s state-owned broadcaster, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), shared a clip of Trump’s remarks on its official X account and derided the US president for what it described as fanciful thinking.
Referring to Trump’s claims, IRIB said he was effectively “building castles in the air”.
To reinforce the message, the broadcaster posted a Persian proverb: “The camel dreams of cottonseed, sometimes gulping it down, sometimes eating it grain by grain,” it said.
The proverb is typically used in Persian to mock unrealistic ambitions or hopes that are unlikely to materialise. It has also been used in the past by Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei while criticising Trump.
Khamenei was killed in the US-Israeli strike on Iran on February 28, giving the latest reference additional political symbolism amid already tense regional dynamics.
Trump claims breakthrough with Tehran could come soon
Despite the scepticism from Tehran, Trump on Thursday projected strong confidence about the status of the negotiations and said the United States was “very close” to striking a peace agreement with Iran.
He also claimed that Tehran had agreed to hand over its enriched uranium stockpile, a highly sensitive issue that remains central to the ongoing discussions.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said, “there’s a very good chance we’re going to make a deal” with Tehran.
He went on to suggest that an announcement could come in the near future, presenting the talks as a major diplomatic success in the making.
“I think we have a very successful negotiation going on right now,” he said.
Trump then added a dramatic description of what he believed the outcome could look like.
“If it happens, it’ll be announced fairly soon, and that’ll give us free oil, free Hormuz Strait, everything will be nice. And I think your oil price will go down to lower than what it was before.”
Pakistan steps in as diplomatic backchannel efforts continue
Trump’s remarks came shortly after Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir met Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf in Tehran, in what appeared to be part of Islamabad’s broader effort to support a possible diplomatic breakthrough between Washington and Tehran.
Ghalibaf had led the Iranian side during the first round of talks last week, though those discussions concluded without any agreement.
The meeting underlined how regional players are increasingly involved in attempts to keep communication open, even as formal negotiations remain unresolved.
Enrichment dispute still clouds chances of any final deal
At the heart of the impasse is the issue of uranium enrichment, which continues to divide both sides despite the public optimism from Trump.
The US has reportedly sought a 20-year suspension of Iran’s uranium enrichment programme, while Tehran has offered a five-year pause in nuclear activity, a proposal that American officials have rejected.
Trump has repeatedly insisted that any deal must permanently stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. He has also justified military action by arguing that Tehran was moving quickly towards building an atomic bomb, a claim that has not been supported by the UN nuclear watchdog.
Iran, for its part, continues to insist that its nuclear programme is peaceful. On Wednesday, Tehran said its right to enrich uranium was “indisputable”, though it added that the level of enrichment remained “negotiable”.
That position shows why, despite Trump’s upbeat rhetoric and Iran’s mocking response, a final agreement remains far from certain.
