'Building castles...': Iran mocks Trump over 'free oil' remark
What's the story
Iran's state media has ridiculed United States President Donald Trump's assertion that a peace deal with Iran would provide the US with "free oil and free Strait of Hormuz." The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) shared a clip from Trump's media interaction on its official X account, calling him "building castles in the air." IRIB also quoted a Persian proverb: "The camel dreams of cottonseed, sometimes gulping it down, sometimes eating it grain by grain."
Twitter Post
IRIB's post on Trump's remarks
Building castles in the air!
— IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting) (@iribnews_irib) April 16, 2026
Or in Persian we have a similar proverb:
'The camel dreams of cottonseed; sometimes gulping it down, sometimes eating it grain by grain!'
شتر در خواب بیند پنبهدانه
گهی لپلپ خورد گه دانه دانه pic.twitter.com/HA15h1aQVU
Deal progress
What did Trump say about US-Iran deal
Trump had claimed that Washington and Tehran were "very close" to a peace deal. He insisted Iran had agreed to hand over its enriched uranium, a key sticking point in negotiations. "There's a very good chance we're going to make a deal," he said, adding that if it happens, the US would get free oil and lower oil prices.
Diplomatic efforts
Trump's remarks follow Pakistan army chief's visit to Tehran
Trump's remarks came after Pakistan's army chief, Asim Munir, met Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf in Tehran. The meeting was part of Islamabad's redoubled efforts to negotiate a peace deal between the US and Iran. However, previous talks led by Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi ended without an agreement.
Nuclear negotiations
US demands 20-year suspension of Iran's uranium enrichment program
Trump has insisted that any deal with Iran must permanently block it from acquiring nuclear weapons. Washington has reportedly sought a 20-year suspension of Iran's uranium enrichment program, while Tehran proposed a five-year suspension, which US officials rejected. Tehran maintains its nuclear program is peaceful, and its right to enrich uranium is "indisputable," though the level of enrichment remains negotiable.