Iran’s military publicly mocked Trump during an active war, asking if his “inner struggle” had reached the point of negotiating with himself

Iran’s military publicly mocked President Trump this week, questioning if his “inner struggle” had reached the point where he was negotiating with himself, while firmly denying that any peace talks were underway. This comes as Trump continues to insist that diplomacy is moving forward to end the ongoing conflict.

According to Al Jazeera, Ebrahim Zolfaqari, the spokesperson for Iran’s armed forces command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said, “Has the level of your inner struggle reached the stage of you negotiating with yourself?” He added, “Don’t call your failure an agreement,” directly mocking US leadership. This reinforces consistent denials from Iranian officials that Tehran is engaging in any diplomatic discussions with Washington.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump maintained that Washington is talking to the “right people” in Iran, claiming they want to make a deal “so badly” and that “They are talking to us, and they’re making sense.”

Iran’s total denial of negotiations stands in sharp contrast to Trump’s confident claims of ongoing diplomacy

Days before, Trump had threatened to strike Iran’s power plants if the Strait of Hormuz wasn’t reopened, but hours before that ultimatum expired on Monday, he announced a five-day delay, citing “diplomatic progress.” Iranian officials denied that any such progress had occurred.

US media reports have indicated that Washington may have sent Tehran a 15-point plan to end the war, calling for Iran to dismantle its nuclear sites, halt enrichment, suspend its ballistic missile program, curb support for regional allies, and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

In return, nuclear-related sanctions would be lifted and the US would assist Iran’s civilian nuclear program. Trump has also faced scrutiny on other fronts, as his contradictory stance on mail-in voting has drawn renewed public attention.

However, the situation inside Iran appears to be one of “total confusion” regarding any potential negotiations. One reporter noted, “Contrary to the clarity with which Donald Trump seems to speak, there is obscurity in Iran.” Iranian officials are saying the complete opposite of Trump’s claims, stating there are no negotiations happening at all.

While there is a “cloud of mistrust” between the two countries, Pakistan has emerged as a possible mediator, reportedly delivering the US’s plan to Tehran. Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, stated, “Based on my information, contrary to Trump’s claim, no direct or indirect negotiations have taken place between the two countries so far.”

He did add that “friendly countries seek to lay the ground for dialogue between Tehran and Washington, which we hope will be fruitful in ending this imposed war.” Iran has also separately blasted the US over fake diplomacy claims as Trump insisted his private envoys held perfect negotiations with an unnamed party. Amid all these conflicting claims, the military conflict continues.  Israel carried out late-night strikes on Tehran infrastructure, killing at least 12 people.

Iran claimed to fire missiles at targets in Israel, including a military base in northern Safad and sites in Tel Aviv, Kiryat Shmona, and Bnei Brak. Meanwhile, the US is reportedly preparing to send at least 1,000 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East, adding to the approximately 50,000 US troops already in the region.