News Vérité

In a last-minute effort before the ceasefire ceases on Wednesday, President Trump is sending his negotiating team led by Vice-President JD Vance to Islamabad. The aim is to work on a deal before ending Iran’s civilization, as Trump previously warned, becomes necessary. The problem is, Iran has just issued a statement pooh-poohing any negotiations. Iranian negotiators may still show up, or they might just be calling Trump’s bluff, thinking President TACO (Trump Always Chickens Out) will have the final say, and unilaterally extend a pause of some sort. Even before today’s announcement, which just came moments ago, Iran was downplaying the possibility of a deal. Said Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, “… we are far from a final agreement.” All this comes one day after Iran closed down the Strait of Hormuz once again, prompting the president to say he will not be “blackmailed.” Let’s see how the stock markets respond to all this tomorrow. My guess: “… down, down, down like and the flames went higher,” to steal from Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire.”

Iranian diplomats can promise one thing, but the country’s revolutionary defenders can counter with a punch of their own. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) evidently disagreed with the country’s announced “open” policy for the Strait of Hormuz and today fired upon a vessel trying to take advantage of the sea passage’s new openness. The IRGC put out the word that the strait will remain closed so long as there is a U.S. naval blockage. Ouch! In one fell swoop, or blow, the IRGC in essence just put U.S. policy in another “strait”-jacket. The country also announced that President Trump’s announced plans for returning to the bargaining table are nowhere on the nation’s upcoming agenda. Trump’s very good Friday is thus now a very bad Saturday. “They wanted to close up the strait again … as they’ve been doing for years,” Trump told reporters on Saturday morning at the White House. “They can’t blackmail us.” The ever-glossing-over-the-truth Trump then went on to say that chances for a deal remained “very good.” Tell that to the IRGC, Mr. President. [PICTURED: A scene from an Iranian Lego cartoon showing IRGC boats attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz]

I am having a hard time keeping up with the breaking news. It looks like this is a great day to stay in front of the boob tube. It also looks like a great day for President Trump — and for the world, if everything I’ve seen and ahead is true and stays in effect. From what I’ve learned on TV and from the pages of the Wall Street Journal, Trump today has announced: The Strait of Hormuz is open, a statement backed up by Iran’s Foreign Minister The U.S. will obtain all nuclear “dust” left over from our Midnight Hammer strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities last summer Israel will be forbidden to drop any more bombs on Lebanon President Trump himself will be flying to Pakistan to sign a deal with Iran If all this holds true, all I can say is “WOW” and hats off to President Trump. Despite his braggadocco, he’s done it!

Iran is at it again with a video blasting President Trump, replete with a rap song evidently titled “They Lied to You.” The video — watch here — shows Trump in various poses — raising the Israel flag over the U.S. Capitol (shown above),  and standing over rows and rows of American-flag-draped coffins while saluting an Israeli flag. The message is, obviously, that Trump attacked Iran to carry out Israeli interests.