Trump-Iran Deal on Edge as Tehran Vows 'Mass Sacrifice' and Total Resistance

Could this be a virtual bucket of cold water tossed on all the optimism we had on a possible peace deal with Iran this weekend? Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian doesn't seem too optimistic, and his latest foray into the wilds of "My Mouth is Writing Checks My Butt Can't Cash," well, it evokes a rather odd image, given the nature of the current conflict.

But Iran's president seems determined to go down this road.

President Masoud Pezeshkian invoked one of Iran’s strongest wartime symbols on May 24, signaling Tehran’s resolve to hold its ground against the U.S. and Israel across the region, a counterterrorism expert said.
The Iranian leader's remarks came at a key moment in diplomacy, as President Donald Trump said a deal with Tehran to end the war is "largely negotiated" and warned the U.S. would either sign "a great and meaningful" agreement or walk away entirely.
While Iran signaled broad agreement with Washington on some points, it said a final deal is not imminent and that negotiations over the remaining details are still underway.

That's the game Iran has been playing all along. But here's the part where it gets weird:

In an X post marking the anniversary of the 1982 recapture of Khorramshahr from Iraqi forces during the Iran-Iraq War, Pezeshkian said, "Khorramshahr today is Iran, the Persian Gulf, and the Strait of Hormuz," adding that "resistance, self-sacrifice, and repelling aggression are rooted in the culture of this land."
Analysts claimed Pezeshkian was deliberately invoking one of the deepest ideological touchstones of the Islamic Republic — the battle that came to symbolize national resistance, civilian sacrifice and defiance against invasion.
"This is the Iran-Iraq War reference, and the timing is the point," said Dr. Omar Mohammed, director of the Antisemitism Research Initiative Program on Extremism at George Washington University.
May 24 marks the anniversary of the 1982 liberation of Khorramshahr, the southwestern city Saddam Hussein captured early in the war and Iranian forces retook after months of brutal urban combat.

OK, now, every nation evokes memories of heroic feats in its past. In a few weeks, right here in the United States, we'll be remembering and paying homage to the men who brought this country into being, and the bravery and sacrifice they faced to do so. Britain has their Lord Nelson and the Duke of Wellington, Germany has Arminius and Carl von Clausewitz, and we have heroes ranging from George Washington to George Patton, with Audie Murphy pretty close to the top of that heap. But Iran, when it fought Iraq in the 1980s, was engaged in a near-peer conflict. Now, Iran is in a "the United States is kicking their teeth in" conflict.

Trump Claps Back at Iran Deal Critics, 'Don't Listen to the Losers' Who 'Know Nothing About' It

Speaking of President Pezeshkian, Here's that X post:

خرمشهر امروز ایران، خلیج فارس و تنگه هرمز است. ملت ما امروز هم چونان مردم رزم ندیده اما دلیر خرمشهرند که روزها در مقابل ارتش متجاوز ایستادند تا قدرت مردم ایران را به رخ جهانیان بکشند.
مقاومت، ایثار و دفع تجاوز ریشه در فرهنگ این سرزمین دارد.
— Masoud Pezeshkian (@drpezeshkian) May 24, 2026

Translated into English:

Khorramshahr today is Iran, the Persian Gulf, and the Strait of Hormuz. Our nation today, just like the people of the undefeated yet brave Khorramshahr who stood for days against the invading army to showcase the power of the Iranian people to the world, remains steadfast.
Resistance, self-sacrifice, and repelling aggression are rooted in the culture of this land.

Yeah, you let us know how that works out for you.

President Trump has cautioned us not to rush to judgment, and that's actually pretty good advice for the moment. Most of us don't know all the ins and outs, we don't know what's being discussed right now. We know President Trump's primary sticking point: No nuclear capability for Iran. And, that's about all we know.

But here we are, with Iran talking tough again. We'll see.

Editor's Note: For decades, former presidents have been all talk and no action. Now, Donald Trump is eliminating the threat from Iran once and for all.

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