Trump Brands Iran Leadership 'Unbelievably Duplicitous' and He's Not Wrong

The entire situation with Iran is growing more complicated by the day; it seems. On Sunday, President Trump announced that direct hostilities against Iran would cease pending direct talks between Washington and Tehran. Now, on Monday, it seems the Iranians are only willing to speak through mediators, as they have been doing.

President Trump promptly labeled the Iranians "unbelievably duplicitous." Well, yes; some of us have been saying that all along. When dealing with Iran, that's something you can safely presume.

What to know about the Iran war today:
President Trump called Iran's leadership "unbelievably duplicitous" Monday after Iran said hours earlier it had no plans to hold direct talks with Washington, despite the U.S. leader's claim that negotiations would start today.
Mr. Trump said Sunday that a "deal is imminent, having to do with the Hormuz Strait and also, ultimately, the denuclearization of Iran," after calling off strikes on Iran that he said would have been the "biggest attacks since World War II."
Iran's only negotiations are with Oman, an official said Monday. The two states have had "constructive discussions" over the past week on a new, temporary route through the Strait of Hormuz.

So, back to the status quo? Will attacks resume? Or will we keep talking to Iran via Oman?

Report From Inside Iranian Resistance: Revolution Could Happen 'Any Day Now'

Iran says, no, we're not talking directly with the United States.

Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said at a press conference Monday that Tehran had no plans to hold direct talks with Washington, after Mr. Trump's claim that a "deal is imminent."
"To avoid any misunderstanding, it is important to clarify what the current negotiations are about and who they are with. We are not negotiating with the United States at this time," Baghein said.

President Trump, as one might expect, is not happy with this development.

President Trump has responded to Tehran's dismissal of his claim that U.S.-Iran talks were set to restart Monday, calling the country's leadership "unbelievably duplicitous" and saying they begged for talks.

It's very near the throw-up-our-hands stage. Here's why, and I'm going to tell you: The president is correct in that particular. Iran's government under the mullahs is unbelievably duplicitous. Some of us have been saying that all along. They will not negotiate in good faith. They will not abide by any agreement they make. They will not keep any bargain.

We've known that since this thing started. We've known that since well before this thing started. We've known that since 1979.

As of this writing, it looks like the assault on Iran's infrastructure is still on hold, at least, for now. The economic sanctions, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's Operation Economic Fury, is still turning the screws on Iran's economy. The U.S. naval blockade of Iran's ports is still in place. But the shooting has, for the moment, paused. Will this recalcitrance from Iran result in President Trump's ordering the strikes to resume?

And if so, what effect will that have on the midterm elections?

Here's the thing in dealing with Iran. There's a great scene in the original True Grit wherein John Wayne, playing the U.S. marshal Rooster Cogburn, spots a rat eating his landlord Chin Lee's cornmeal. Cogburn draws his revolver, and says, "Mister Rat, I got a writ here that says you're to stop eating Chin Lee's cornmeal forthwith. Now it's a rat writ, writ for a rat, and this is lawful service of same." The rat, of course, ignores the pronouncement, so Cogburn shoots it. "You can't serve papers on a rat, baby sister," he informs the young Mattie Ross. "You've got to either kill 'em, or leave 'em be."

That would sure seem to apply with a nation like Iran. But a nation-state, the world's foremost state sponsor of Islamic terror, isn't something that can be dispatched by one .45 caliber bullet. Iran, again, seems once more to be playing for time, and so far, it's working in their favor.

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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