Iran (IMNA) - The latest ploy came when Trump reposted a link on his Truth Social platform from the conservative US outlet Newsmax, which grossly misrepresented remarks made by Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf during his official diplomatic visit to Iraq. Newsmax ran the sensational headline, "Iran Parliament Speaker: 'We Are Hungry, We Cannot Survive,'" deliberately twisting Qalibaf’s words to craft a false narrative of Iranian vulnerability. The outlet falsely quoted the speaker as suggesting that military power is futile if the people are hungry, prompting Western media to spin the story as proof that Iran is on the brink of collapse under US pressure.
However, the original Persian-language speech tells an entirely different story. In a high-level meeting with Iraqi and Iranian economic activists, Qalibaf strategically underscored that sovereign nations must maintain both military and economic strength. He emphasized that while formidable defense capabilities are vital, economic growth, robust domestic production, and dynamic financial activity are equally essential pillars for national resilience. He made clear that military power alone cannot guarantee long-term survival if the domestic economy is neglected, and he firmly stressed that Iran must bolster its economic foundation and overcome internal financial challenges precisely to withstand hostile foreign pressure.
This media deception unfolds against the backdrop of the US-Israeli joint war launched on February 28, an assault intended to cripple the Islamic Republic but which has backfired spectacularly. Trump openly declared regime change as his goal, urging the Iranian population to overthrow their government. Yet, far from achieving its maximalist objectives, the conflict has rapidly depleted US military arsenals, exposing the logistical limits of American hegemony.
Detailed technical assessments from major American military outlets confirm that months of high-intensity operations have drained nearly two-thirds of US Patriot air defense interceptors, roughly 40 percent of THAAD interceptors, a third of Tomahawk cruise missiles, and virtually exhausted precision-strike ballistic missiles like ATACMS and PrSM. US military analysts admit that Washington lacks the industrial manufacturing pace to replenish these systems, disproving claims that Iranian military power has been wiped out. Iranian officials have repeatedly dismissed such proclamations, affirming that the country’s defense apparatus remains fully operational and capable of sustained deterrence.
Despite these tactical defeats, Trump persists in geopolitical delusions, most notably his absurd and repeated assertion that the Strait of Hormuz—a vital international waterway—is now sovereign US territory. He first voiced this claim at a rally in Long Island, later doubled down at Joint Base Andrews, and amplified it by sharing maps on Truth Social that labeled the strait as American ground. Iranian officials and regional observers swiftly dismissed these statements as detached from reality, noting that the strait remains an international waterway bordered by sovereign nations, and that no social media posts can grant Washington legal or physical ownership over foreign territorial waters.
Trump’s unfulfilled threats follow a recurring pattern of dramatic ultimatums that collapse into strategic retreats. This cycle—dubbed the "TACO" pattern (Trump Always Chickens Out) by analysts, financial markets, and international media—has seen Trump repeatedly threaten to bomb Iranian power plants, target Kharg Island infrastructure, or send Iran back to the Stone Age, only to back away each time Tehran refused to submit, offering unilateral extensions or citing requests from foreign leaders to pause action.
Having failed on the battlefield, depleted its arsenal, and exhausted its coercive leverage, Washington shifted to financial strangulation with an "economic D-Day" plan aimed at crushing Iran’s commercial lifelines and starving its people into submission. However, Iran’s steadfast endurance has neutralized this pressure, turning the economic offensive into another total failure.
Now, facing structural defeat on both military and financial fronts, the White House has resorted to classic divide-and-rule tactics—using media fabrications, Truth Social manipulations, and false narratives about figures like Qalibaf to sow division and mask Washington’s growing impotence on the global stage.
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