A “Lousy Fighters” Jibe From Trump As Iran Calls US Proposal “One-Sided”

In a recent statement, former President Donald Trump asserted that Iran has been “begging” for a deal, despite publicly claiming they are merely “reviewing our proposal.” Trump made the remarks during a Cabinet meeting at the White House on Thursday, alongside officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
During the briefing, Trump described Iranian leaders as “great negotiators” but criticized their military capabilities, stating, “They’re lousy fighters, but they’re great negotiators, and they are begging to work out a deal.” He expressed skepticism about the likelihood of reaching an agreement, saying, “I don’t know if we’ll be able to do that” or if the U.S. is willing to proceed.
Earlier in the day, on Truth Social, Trump reiterated his claim that Iran was eager for negotiations, contrasting this with Iran’s public stance of merely considering U.S. proposals.
Meanwhile, a senior Iranian official dismissed the U.S. proposal, describing it as “one-sided and unfair.” The official told Reuters that the plan demands Iran relinquish its defensive capabilities in exchange for vague sanctions relief, asserting it favors U.S. and Israeli interests. He warned Iranian negotiators to take the talks seriously before “it is too late,” calling them “strange” and emphasizing the country’s military dominance.
Trump’s comments come amid conflicting messages from Iran. While he claims Iran is desperate to end nearly four weeks of fighting, Iran’s foreign minister has stated that the country is reviewing the U.S. proposal but has no intention of engaging in talks to de-escalate the conflict.
Trump also accused Iranian officials of hiding ongoing negotiations out of fear of assassination, following the recent killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
In the regional arena, Israel announced it had killed a commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ navy, blaming him for restricting maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz since the conflict began.
Additionally, Pakistan confirmed it is facilitating indirect talks between the U.S. and Iran, relaying messages and exploring a 15-point American plan being considered by Tehran.
The White House has declined to identify the specific Iranian official involved in these discussions, only stating it is not Mojtaba Khamenei, who is believed to be injured and has not been publicly seen since succeeding his father.