What Donald Trump Gains From His Temporary TACO

 https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-iran-war-strikes-energy-11720662

President Donald Trump has delayed for five days threatened strikes on Iranian energy targets, saying the pause would allow time for what he described as productive background talks.

Trump had originally threatened strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure unless the Strait of Hormuz was reopened within 48 hours.

It looks to his critics like a temporary TACO (the now infamous acronym for "Trump Always Chickens Out"); the Iranians have denied that discussions are taking place.

But the move also buys Trump some crucial time in a spiraling conflict.

Whether it's TACO or tactical, here's what Trump stands to gain:

Signs emerge Trump ready to end Iran war as pressure mounts over Hormuz

 https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5797035-trump-administration-iran-war/

Early signs emerged Monday that the Trump administration is signaling it wants to wind down the war with Iran, as pressure from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz tightens its grip on the global economy.

But conflicting accounts over whether any talks are taking place between the U.S. and Iran to reach any kind of deal to end the fighting continued to pour out of Washington and Tehran.

Monday’s announcement marks an abrupt about-face from Trump’s threat on Saturday to “obliterate” Iran’s nuclear facilities unless they reopened the Strait of Hormuz. 

Still, public opinion has not been on Trump’s side for the duration of the conflict. A CBS News poll released Sunday found 57 percent of surveyed Americans believed the conflict with Iran was going “very or somewhat badly” for the U.S., while 43 percent said it is going “very or somewhat well. 

The same poll found that 92 percent of respondents said it was important for the U.S. to “end the conflict as quickly as possible.” 

Tehran residents dismiss prospects of genuine US-Iran diplomacy

 https://www.israelhayom.com/2026/03/23/tehran-residents-trump-iran-diplomacy-skepticism/

Following US President Donald Trump's announcement Monday of "constructive" conversations between the US and Iran that could lead to a deal ending the conflict, and a five-day halt of American strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure, residents of Tehran expressed skepticism about whether any negotiations would genuinely benefit the Iranian people – particularly against the backdrop of Iran's denial that such talks have taken place at all.

The president's dramatic announcement prompted a response from Iranian officials. Spokesperson of the Iranian Parliament's National Security Committee, Ibrahim Rezaei, said, "Trump and the US have backed down again. The campaign continues to gallop," adding this decision marks "Another defeat for the Satan" – referring to the US.

According to Fars News Agency (Iran's state-run news agency), an Iranian source claimed that "There was no direct or indirect communication with Trump – he backed down after hearing that our targets would be every power station in the Middle East."

Israel assesses: US has set a date to end the war

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/424448

US President Donald Trump announced a five-day delay to a planned strike on Iran’s electrical infrastructure, saying: “They want to reach an agreement." Officials in Tehran deny the claim.

An Israeli official estimated this evening (Monday) that the US has marked April 9 as the target date for ending the war against Iran.

Despite Trump’s optimism-he said that “Israel will be very pleased with the result"-a senior Israeli official admitted that officials in Jerusalem were surprised by reports of the rapid progress.

As Trump steers away from war with Iran, Israel rediscovers cost of riding with him

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/as-trump-steers-away-from-war-with-iran-israel-discovers-cost-of-riding-with-us/

For third time in a year, the president wants to cut a deal that ends fighting before Israel is ready. Now Netanyahu has to make sure regime truly cannot get to the bomb, and that Hezbollah doesn’t get off the hook as well

The White House has repeatedly sounded a simple but effective message: Trust the plan.

Trump’s decision to unleash an all-out bombing campaign against Iran alongside Israel seemed to confirm the wisdom of putting trust in the US leader. Sure, Trump might have engaged in direct talks with Iran, but, they reasoned, he saw right through their attempts to prevaricate and delay and embarked on a war that could damage him politically because he knew it was right.

After delivering a seemingly unequivocal deadline to Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, Trump seems to have equivocated.

In a bombshell announcement Monday, Trump revealed that his administration has been engaged in “productive” talks with Iran regarding a “complete and total resolution” of hostilities, leading him to postpone his pledge to bomb Iran’s energy sites.

Israelis who had trusted the plan now fear there is no plan and wonder if Trump can still be trusted.

It seems that Jerusalem was caught off guard by the announcement from the mercurial president.

There are precedents over the past year for Trump accepting a hasty deal that solves nothing in order to extricate himself from a situation, even if it leaves others in the lurch.

With the war weighing on Trump’s political prospects and his economic agenda, his domestic allies had been pushing for an exit strategy. At the same time, key US partners in the Middle East, such as Turkey, had stepped up efforts to find a diplomatic way out of the fighting, creating a ramp that could work for Trump, even if not for Israel.

Iran denies engaging in talks with US after Trump claims Kushner, Witkoff held meeting

 https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-890954

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei denied on Monday that any talks with the United States had taken place, contradicting US President Donald Trump's earlier statements that Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had met with Iranian officials on Sunday.

A source told The Jerusalem Post on Monday that Ghalibaf is leading the talks with the US, while the Parliament Speaker stated in a post on X/Twitter that no talks had taken place and further stated that "fake news" is being used to manipulate financial and oil markets.

Trump is presumed to be telling the truth?!

 Garnel IronheartMarch 23, 2026 at 6:08 PM

I love how anyone, even a regime which lies constantly, is automatically given total credibility if it makes Trump look bad.

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‘President Trump is right’: The White House’s go-to line about Trump’s false claims

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/03/23/politics/white-house-communications-trump-false-claims?cid=android_app

Donald Trump’s White House spokespeople have a favorite two-step reply when reporters ask them to comment on one of the president’s false claims.

First: They say, “President Trump is right.”

Second: They defend some related point that isn’t the one Trump actually made.

Trump’s false or misleading claims total 30,573 over 4 years Trump 1.0

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/01/24/trumps-false-or-misleading-claims-total-30573-over-four-years/

By the end of his term, Trump had accumulated 30,573 untruths during his presidency — averaging about 21 erroneous claims a day.

Is Donald Trump a pathological liar? No. It's worse than that

https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/is-donald-trump-a-pathological-liar-no-its-worse-than-that/article_677de743-046d-4ecd-a3ba-e7231ce12165.html

Writing off Trump and Co. as mere “pathological liars” lets them off the hook. It ascribes their desire to deceive the public to some psychological malady, and not to their ad hoc political program, such as it is. A pathological liar is hard to counter, because they are barely even responsible for their compunction. Trump (and Vance, and Leavitt, and all the other liars in the White House) are responsible.

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Bottom line it is safer to assume that a problematic statement uttered by Trump is a lie. Especially if he will benefit from it

Tehran says Trump has 'backed down' and denies US talks happened

 https://news.sky.com/story/iran-says-trump-has-backed-down-after-he-postpones-energy-attacks-13523482

State media framed the latest development as a victory - with a TV banner reading: "US president backs down following Iran's firm warning."

It's not yet known who was involved in the talks or how they took place.

Trump: 'If talks don't go well, we'll keep bombing our little hearts out'- Someone is lying!

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/424440

US President Donald Trump dismissed the denials from Iran's Foreign Ministry of his statement that the US and Iran had held "very good and productive" talks on ending the current conflict in recent days, remarking that Iran needed "better public relations people."

"We have had very, very strong talks. We'll see where they lead. We have major points of agreement," Trump told Fox News, saying that the talks were conducted by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. "They went, I would say, perfectly. I would say that if they carry through with that, it'll end that problem, that conflict."

He added: "We're dealing with the man who, I believe, is the most respected and the 'leader.' It's a little tough - we've wiped out everybody."

When asked if that 'leader' is the new Supreme Leader of Iran, Motjaba Khamenei, Trump replied: "No."

Iran denies claims: 'We reject all negotiations – US has failed and Hormuz will remain closed'

 https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1s1fpj9/iran_denies_claims_we_reject_all_negotiations_us/

Iran's Foreign Ministry denied U.S. President Donald Trump's statements about "productive conversations" that took place in recent days between the countries.

"Iran maintains its position rejecting any type of negotiation before achieving its war objectives," according to a statement quoted by the Sabereen news agency. "Trump’s statement is a retreat from his earlier threats, but the Islamic Republic remains committed to its declared positions. Its position on the Strait of Hormuz has not changed and the passage will remain closed to the aggressors attacking Iran."

Spokesman for the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee in the Iranian Parliament, Ibrahim Rezaei, claimed: "The battle continues. Another defeat for Satan. Trump and the U.S. have failed again."

MAHA’s political power tested as surgeon general pick stalls

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/03/23/casey-means-surgeon-general-nomination-stalled-maha/

Casey Means faces pushback from some Republicans over her refusal to forcefully recommend vaccines.

The nascent Make America Healthy Again movement got one of its biggest wins last spring: Casey Means was selected to be the nation’s top doctor.

But more than 10 months later, the controversial surgeon general pick has yet to assume the position advising Americans on how to improve their health. Her nomination has stalled as some Republicans question her stance on vaccines, her medical credentials and her pushes against the medical establishment.

While she honed her message on the importance of healthy food — talking points that Kennedy has tried to amp up as the midterms approach — she is getting tangled in his prior controversial stances on vaccines and other aspects of the MAHA movement, which has tried to galvanize supporters to call on reticent senators.

Iran War Live Updates: Trump Says He’s Making Deal With Iran But Tehran Denies Talks

 https://www.newsweek.com/iran-war-live-update-power-plant-strikes-warning-trump-deadline-11718848

Trump says the U.S. and Iran have held discussions on ending the war and identified “major points of agreement.”

He claims the talks led him to postpone strikes on Iranian power plants; oil and gas prices fell sharply after his remarks.

Iran’s foreign ministry denies any talks, calling the claims inaccurate, according to CBS reporting from Tehran.

Don’t blame Trump’s stupid war on Israel

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/03/23/dont-blame-trumps-stupid-war-israel/

When a nation starts a war for dubious reasons and then suffers the consequences, there is inevitably a search for scapegoats. Conspiracy theories abound. It happened after World War I, when the favorite villains were “merchants of death” and international bankers. It happened again after the Iraq War, which some blamed on “neoconservatives” and Halliburton, the oil-services giant led by Dick Cheney before he became vice president.

It’s now happening with President Donald Trump’s foolhardy war against Iran. Operation Epic Fury may yet produce some positive results, but for now, it has gone spectacularly awry. Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz and targeted energy infrastructure across the region, causing oil prices to skyrocket and instability to spread. As so often happens, the Jews — or, if you prefer a polite euphemism, “Zionists” or “the Israel lobby” — make a handy fall guy.

Trump says U.S. is negotiating end to war with Iran

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/03/23/trump-iran-talks-strikes/

President Donald Trump said Monday the United States is negotiating with Iran to end the three-week-old war, declaring that the two sides had two days of “very good and productive conversations” that will continue throughout this week.

It was the president’s first acknowledgment of high-level talks between the two sides since the United States and Israel unleashing a withering bombardment of Iran on Feb. 28, hammering the country’s military and leadership but also leading to a global energy shortage that has brought economic pain around the world.