TOI reporter in Washington: “Taco Thursday” turned shaky on Friday as a rough peace deal between the United States and Iran remained out of reach, despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s optimistic predictions just hours earlier. On Friday morning, Trump himself appeared to backtrack on expectations, calling the Iranians “very disgraceful people and very difficult to deal with” after claiming that “the terms that Iran leaked to fake news have nothing to do with the terms that were agreed to in writing.”“What they said, including their weak and pathetic statements about reaching a deal, has nothing to do with the facts… For them, there is no such thing as a good faith deal. Amazing! ” Trump wrote in “Truth Social” while accusing Iran of attacking Indian ships. Just hours before Iran unloaded the goods, Trump announced that the deal was effectively finalized and even said it would be signed in Switzerland, likely by the Vice President JD VanceHe is expected to attend the G7 meeting in the French Alpine town of Evian near Lake Geneva. But it is clear that under the mediation of Qatar and Pakistan, one or both parties have completely different versions or interpretations of the agreements that have been reached. Tehran believes the deal will lead to the immediate release of $24 billion in Iranian frozen assets, state media reported.The Strait of Hormuz will be handled through cooperation between Iran and Oman, and Lebanon will be part of any deal to end the fighting, Iran’s official IRNA news agency reported. The interim deal also does not include Iran’s nuclear program, which will be discussed during talks during a 60-day extension to the ceasefire. These Iran “red lines” flashed across social media, causing Trump critics in the United States to yell “Taco” – Trump is always timid – and sparked angry attacks on the president and his deputy’s coverage. Vance, now increasingly seen as out of touch with the president on several issues, tried to bridge the gap with the president by issuing his own clarification in a post on “The deal is structured to ensure that the concerns of the United States and its allies are prioritized and that if Iran meets its obligations, economic benefits will flow to them and the entire region. The deal has the potential to reshape the region and bring lasting peace,” he wrote.Vance also implicitly criticized “bizarre” reporting by some media outlets, including conservative outlets, that Trump was capitulating, saying, “No matter what, the president is going to give us a good outcome.”Trump later forwarded a message from Iranian Foreign Minister Seiyad Abbas Araghchi, indicating that the two sides were indeed close to an agreement. “The Islamabad MoU has never been closer. The media should not speculate on its contents until it is finalized. In line with our responsible and transparent approach, all details will be shared with the public in due course,” Araghchi wrote, without specifying which media outlet he was referring to. Trump has repeatedly hinted at a rift between moderates and mullahs in Iran’s leadership. Meanwhile, the US president continues to be attacked by the US media for his repeated claims (one in 40) that a deal is imminent, claims that are now met with fatigue from weary travelers repeatedly telling them that delayed flights are expected to depart soon. “A lot of people are saying a deal is coming. No one could announce it better; we’re going to have a deal you’ve never seen before (terms and conditions apply),” one humorist quipped, borrowing a favorite expression from MAGA’s top leader.
