Topline
Iran’s leaders are reportedly still considering a peace deal offered by President Donald Trump—even after Iran’s parliamentary speaker and top negotiator Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf appeared to mock the president’s decision to pause U.S. efforts to guide stranded ships out of the Strait of Hormuz.
Key Facts
Speaking to an Iranian state-affiliated broadcaster, Esmail Baghaei, a spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, said the nation’s leaders were still reviewing the proposed peace deal with the U.S. and have not responded to the proposal yet.
But another Iranian leader—Mohsen Rezaei, an ex-adviser to Iran’s former supreme leader Ali Khamenei—called the proposal “an unrealistic plan” on state affiliated television, the Wall Street Journal reported, only a day after another Iranian leader called it “more of an American wish list than a reality.”
In a post on X on Wednesday, Ghalibaf—one of Iran’s most senior and influential leaders—wrote: “Operation Trust Me Bro failed.”
The Iranian speaker then appeared to question the validity of an Axios report about U.S. officials touting “good talks” and being optimistic of an Iranian response to their peace deal in 48 hours, saying: “Now back to routine with Operation Fauxios.”
In an audio message to Iranians earlier on Wednesday, Ghalibaf said the U.S. was hoping to use “economic pressure” to force Iran’s hand but said the country’s people will “give their lives but will not surrender.”
Ghalibaf’s message included a warning that people may have to endure “hardships” and urged them to “practice savings.”
The parliament speaker also called on Iranians living abroad to exercise their economic capacities, expertise and communication skills to support the country.
News Peg
Over the past few months, Ghalibaf has repeatedly used X to target the U.S. administration and accuse them of attempting to manipulate markets by touting a potential end to the conflict. His posts mocking the U.S. are usually written in English rather than Persian. Last week, when global crude oil prices soared to a war-time high of $126 per barrel, the Iranian speaker tweeted: “Saying the ‘junk advice’ the U.S. administration has relied on has ‘cranked oil up to $120+,’” and warned of further increases, saying: “Next stop:140.” Earlier this month, Ghalibaf mocked oil traders and U.S. bond market traders, accusing them of engaging in “vibe-trading” after oil prices dropped below $100 per barrel. “Vibe-trading digital oil is like vibe-hedging in treasuries during Hormuz risk-off. Both share one house of cards that works on paper,” he wrote at the time. Since the start of the war, Ghalibaf has repeatedly accused President Donald Trump and his administration of using news of the conflict to manipulate the market. In an X post last month, he mocked the president’s early morning Truth Social posts, saying: “Pre-market so-called ‘news’ or ‘Truth’ is often just a setup for profit-taking. Basically, it’s a reverse indicator.” He chimed in again on April 1, tweeting: “Out-of-context quotes + manufactured FOMO = War profiteering 101.”
What Do We Know About The Reported Talks?
Early on Wednesday, Axios and Bloomberg reported that Tehran and Washington were close to agreeing to a one-page memorandum of understanding to end the war and begin nuclear talks. The reports said the agreement includes a commitment from Iran to halt nuclear enrichment, lifting U.S. sanctions against the country and releasing frozen Iranian funds. Trump’s Truth Social post hinting at the proposal also mentioned that would lead to the complete reopening of the Strait of Hormuz by both sides. Later on Wednesday, Axios reported that the White House was confident it was getting close to clinching an agreement with Iran and expected a response from Tehran in 48 hours. The report mention that no agreement had been reached yet but cited U.S. officials saying both sides have had “good talks over the last 24 hours.”
Tangent
The global oil benchmark Brent Crude Futures index fell below $100 per barrel on Thursday morning, amid market optimism about an imminent peace deal between Iran and the U.S.
Further Reading
Trump optimistic as U.S. awaits Iran's response to peace framework (Axios)
U.S. Fighter Jet Fires On Iranian Tanker After Trump Touts Peace Proposal (Forbes)
