TOI correspondent from Washington: “Taco Thursday” has turned to faltering Friday as a sketchy American peace deal with Iran remained tantalizingly out of reach despite US President Donald Trump’s optimistic projections just hours earlier. Trump himself appeared to reel back expectations on Friday morning calling Iranians “very dishonorable people to deal with” after alleging that “terms that Iran leaked out to the Fake News have NOTHING to do with the terms that were agreed to, in writing.”“What they said, including their weak and pathetic statement on having a deal, bears no relation to the truth…With them, there is no such thing as dealing in good faith. AMAZING!” Trump wrote on Truth Social, while accusing Iran of attacking Indian ships. Just hours before unloading at Iran, Trump had announced that an agreement was virtually a done deal, going so far as to indicate it would be signed in Switzerland, most likely by vice-president JD Vance, who is expected to attend a G-7 meeting in the nearby French Alps town of Evian near Lake Geneva. But evidently, one or both sides have a completely different version or interpretation of what has been agreed upon, based on mediation by Qatar and Pakistan. Tehran, as per its state-aligned media, believes that the deal would result in immediate release of frozen Iranian assets to the tune of $ 24 billion.According to IRNA, the Iranian state media outlet, the Strait of Hormuz would be handled through a partnership between Iran and Oman, and Lebanon would be part of any deal to end the fighting. The interim deal also does not cover Iran’s nuclear program, which would be discussed in talks during a 60-day extended ceasefire. Those Iranian “red lines,” flashed over social media, led Trump critics in the US to cry “Taco” – Trump Always Chickens Out – triggering an angry smackdown on the reporting from the President and his deputy. Vance, now increasingly seen as being adrift from the President on several issues, offered his own clarification seeking to bridge the gap with his boss in a post on X in which he clarified that the Iranians “are not receiving any cash, and no funds are being released for simply signing a deal or attending a meeting.” “The deal is structured to ensure that the US and its allies’ concerns are prioritized, and that if Iran meets its obligations, then economic benefits will flow to them and to the entire region. This deal has the potential to remake the region and lead to lasting peace,” he wrote.Vance also implicitly criticized the “bizarre” reporting in sections of the press, including in the conservative media, that believes Trump is folding, saying, ”The president is going to get us a good outcome, one way or the other.”Trump followed it up by reposting a message from Iranian foreign minister Seyad Abbas Aragchi that indicated the two sides are indeed close to a deal. “The Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding has never been closer. Pending its finalization, the media should refrain from entering speculation about its content. In line with our responsible and transparent approach, all details will be shared with the public in due course,” Aragchi wrote, without specifying which media he is referring to. Trump has repeatedly suggested there is a rift in the Iranian leadership between the moderates and the mullahs. Meanwhile, the US President continues to get scalded in the American media for his repeated claims (40 by one count) that a deal is imminent, assertions that are now greeted with the fatigue experienced by weary travelers repeatedly told their delayed flight is expected to depart shortly. “Many people are saying a deal is coming. Nobody announces deals better; we are going to have a deal like you’ve never seen before (terms and conditions apply),” one wag quipped, borrowing from the MAGA supremo’s customary expressions.
