Am thinking this is one of those multiple choice questions.
Your explanation with the baseball term meaning caught between two bases. They certainly are “in a pickle”!
Maybe more with the Heinz connection.
And....
It also fits the context and formatting. Both ends of the Pickle are laid out.
Pickle.
Will Iran expose the names of corrupt officials?
Pickle.
Will the US expose the names of corrupt officials + con deal?
We await your answer [48].
Someone has 48 hrs to decide which way they're moving.