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Posted on 03/23/2026 10:35:10 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
On Friday night, Donald Trump announced that America was “very close to meeting our objectives as we consider winding down our great military efforts in the Middle East.” He even pinned the announcement to the top of his Truth Social account to make sure everyone realized he meant it. That did little to settle the markets over the weekend, however, so this morning he took to Truth Social again to go further in ALL CAPS:
I AM PLEASED TO REPORT THAT THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND THE COUNTRY OF IRAN, HAVE HAD, OVER THE LAST TWO DAYS, VERY GOOD AND PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS REGARDING A COMPLETE AND TOTAL RESOLUTION OF OUR HOSTILITIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST. BASED ON THE TENOR AND TONE OF THESE IN DEPTH, DETAILED, AND CONSTRUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS, WHICH WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE WEEK, I HAVE INSTRUCTED THE DEPARTMENT OF WAR TO POSTPONE ANY AND ALL MILITARY STRIKES AGAINST IRANIAN POWER PLANTS AND ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE FOR A FIVE DAY PERIOD, SUBJECT TO THE SUCCESS OF THE ONGOING MEETINGS AND DISCUSSIONS.
That did the trick: the price of oil fell dramatically, and markets calmed as traders again took up the so-called TACO (Trump Always Chickens Out) trade, betting that a ceasefire could soon be announced, and a global recession and/or World War Three may be averted.
Yet the lingering fear is that the truth may be more TCCO (Trump Can’t Chicken Out). Iranian media promptly reported that the IRGC has had no talks with America, and that Trump has merely pulled back from hitting Iranian energy infrastructure because Iran had promised to cripple global energy supply in reply.
Of course, Iranian state media isn’t exactly fair and balanced. Nonetheless, the question remains:
We’ve already seen that Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, who keeps promising that Iran does not wish war with its Muslim neighbours. He seems to be on a different page to the IRGC, which has continued to target not just Israel and US military bases but also energy infrastructure across the Gulf states.
Sources inside the Gulf suggest that the usual diplomatic channels have gone dark since February 28, the start of Operation Epic Fury, and the killing of various Iranian leadership figures. The latest developments suggest that Qatari and Omani intermediaries may have succeeded in establishing a new dialogue with elements of the remaining Iranian leadership. But Iran’s “mosaic defence” strategy is designed to decentralize its command structure, and so a politically ordered ceasefire may land on deaf ears.
In other words, America and Israel may have cut off the head of the snake but Trump may soon find that he is dealing with a multi-headed creature with whom it is even harder to wrestle.
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Any article that uses TACO to describe Trump is absolite garbage, yet you post this sh*t with glee
Trump said today...Witkoff & kushner
Big bombs that land in your left side desk drawer, that's who, and then they go from "who", to a "mess".
“Who is actually talking to the Iranians?”
I am. Free Pistachio’s for one year. For everyone who voted for Trump.
You’re welcome.
who is talking to the Iranians, good question
an even better question is: who is this mystery person “negotiating” with??????
the Iranian dicators are all dead or rapidly on their way to Jahannam,
the Iranian IRGC crazy terrorist organization ?
What in H3ll do we have to negotiate with any of the Islamicist terrorists anyway? You don’t negotiate with them, you finish eliminating them so that the Iranian people may regain a civilized government
there is no civilized government yet in Teheran to negotiate with. Probably, maybe in just a few weeks yes. But not there yet.
I call this Fake News, on both ends of the supposed “negotiations”
Who is actually talking FOR the Iranians?
Who speaks for Iran these days?
RE: Trump said today...Witkoff & kushner
Yes, but with the elimination of the Ayatollah, the mullahs, the IRGC leaders, the Security Chief and the Ayatollah’s selected son’s whereabouts unknown, WHO SPEAKS FOR IRAN?
Here are the possibilities:
As of late March 2026, the diplomatic landscape in Iran has shifted dramatically following the “decapitation strikes” and the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. While much of the old guard has been neutralized, the U.S. is currently engaging with a specific “triad” of institutional survivors and a newly emerged (though contested) leader.
Here is who is currently representing Iran in talks with the U.S.:
1. The Diplomatic “Point Man”: Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf
Despite the elimination of many high-level officials, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, has emerged as the primary interlocutor.
The Role: Reports from March 23, 2026, indicate that Ghalibaf is leading the direct and indirect negotiations with the Trump administration.
Why Him? As a former IRGC commander and Tehran mayor, he holds the “secular” institutional authority that the U.S. views as more “pragmatic” for a deal involving the Strait of Hormuz and the nuclear program.
2. The Interim Leadership Council
Under the Iranian Constitution as I understand it, a temporary triumvirate was formed immediately after Khamenei’s death to prevent a total power vacuum. This council is the formal body the U.S. must “recognize” for any binding legal agreements:
Masoud Pezeshkian (President): The “reformist” face of the council who handled initial UN and Western outreach.
Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i (Chief Justice): Representing the judicial and internal security wing.
Alireza Arafi (Guardian Council): Providing the necessary clerical legitimacy for the transition.
3. The Shadow Figure: Mojtaba Khamenei
While the U.S. is talking to Ghalibaf, the most significant “successor” is Mojtaba Khamenei (Ali Khamenei’s son), who was announced as the new Supreme Leader on March 9, 2026.
The U.S. Stance: President Trump has noted that while he is dealing with the “top person” (Ghalibaf), he has “not heard from” Mojtaba and expressed uncertainty about his current location or status.
Whoever we are speaking to MUST have the ear and obedience of their military leaders, otherwise we’re just talking to one faction.
“ Any article that uses TACO to describe Trump is absolite garbage, yet you post this sh*t with glee”
I’ve heard from people TDS people. They are not yet coming around. They might. It would be interesting to watch
They’re at a stage where they can’t admit they want Trump to fail even if it means a nuke taking out the city where their adult children live
TACO the stock bros use this to hedge bets. It’s not quantum analysis. It’s street talk. Wall Street
My guess is 90% who use it down there are so used to telling wives and GFs they hate Trump they just put it in the vernacular
Anyone with sense (as opposed to a gambling addiction attracted to long odds) does not bet against Trump.
RE: Who is actually talking FOR the Iranians?
I speculated in Post #9
A good reporter and journalist would and should ask Trump or Rubio this question.
I, for one, am happy to see the MSM even asking this question.
It means that leaks have finally been contained.
It’s an all-court press to kill morale among the citizens.
Plenty of people here are on board with that.
Afterwards, no matter the outcome, it will be painted as a mistake and a defeat.
Trump shut off the leaks Early
There are no leaks in this regard...Trump has openly identified the “who” that is talking to Iran.
“Who speaks for Iran these days?”
5,000 dispersed and independent IRGC cells.
With at least 1,000 different ideas.
And missiles, if even far less than a month ago.
President Trump recently claimed on March 23, 2026, that “intense discussions” are happening with “representatives” rather than a single leader. According to current reports, the U.S. is using a three-nation mediation track:
Turkey, Egypt, and Pakistan: These three countries are currently passing messages between White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
While Tehran officially denies these talks exist ( who do you believe?), the U.S. administration has suggested that the people they are currently talking to are “totally different,” implying a shift in who is actually calling the shots behind the scenes.
The U.S. has reportedly paused strikes on Iranian power plants for five days (until March 28) to see if these “representatives” can deliver on a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
If the Straight is still not opened, then these so-called “Iran leaders” we are talking to are not in control. We shall see...
I actually had a thought that maybe Trump was making it all up, just to screw with them.
Imagine being one of the folks finding themselves in charge of Iran and you hear Trump say that. You would look around the room and wonder who the hell was talking to the enemy. It would generate distrust among the leaders. I am sure it would trigger some communication which would be a good way to target them.
And Trump would laugh his ass off.
Probably not the case.
Better question...
Who’s talking for the Iranians...?
Who gave CNN the approval to let their reporter to roam free? CNN knows who is in charge.
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