Iran Negotiating From a Dominant Position… And Melania’s Strange Presser on Epstein

The photograph above tells even the casual observer that Iran is entering the next round of negotiations with the United States with its eyes wide open while holding the ultimate trump card… The Strait of Hormuz. The Iranians are shrewd masters of information operations and their skill is on display in this photo… The first 168 seats in the plane are adorned with a photograph of each of the students who were killed by the US missile strike on February 28. The negotiators have not forgotten nor have they forgiven the United States for this heinous act.

Despite White House denials, the US has caved to Iran’s demands and a de facto ceasefire is now in effect in Lebanon. Iran is showing no sign of releasing its choke-hold on the Strait of Hormuz, that prohibits any ship associated with the US, Israel or their allies from entering or leaving. That will be one of the critical items on the agenda. I believe that Iran will agree to allow all ships, regardless of national affiliation, to pass thru the Strait provided they pay a fee in Chinese yuan. In exchange, Iran will demand the removal of all US bases from the Gulf states… This is one way to obtain a guarantee that the US will not attack Iran again.

While the US wants to confine the talks to bi-lateral issues between the US and Iran, the Iranians are insisting that Israel’s war of genocide in Gaza and invasion of southern Lebanon must also be addressed. This may be a bridge too far for the US team, but I do not see Iran backing down on this issue.

I have seen conflicting reports on whether the talks will be direct — i.e., both sides sit in the same room and speak to each other — or indirect — i.e., the Pakistani mediator shuttles between two separate rooms passing on a message from one side to the other. While Iran would prefer to stop the war now, it is not desperate to reach a settlement… That is the position of the Trump team. Opinion polls have moved decisively against Donald Trump and against Israel and lead negotiator, JD Vance, is fully aware of the political bloodbath that awaits the Republicans if this war drags on or, worse, escalates.

You know the war is going bad when, out of the blue, First Lady Melania Trump shows up in the Grand Foyer of the White House addressing rumors and delivers a carefully prepared statement challenging allegations linking her to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. She insisted that she never had a relationship with Epstein or his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell… Yet, there are numerous photos of her with Epstein that undercut her claim that she really did not know him. Why did she do this and why now?

Well we may have the answer — just posted on Friday afternoon — for the Diligent Denizen. Amanda Ungaro, an old friend of Melania’s, has done an interview with a Spanish news channel that will air this Sunday. Ungaro reportedly will spill some toxic beans about Melania and Donald’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.

This whole situation is ripe with irony. Trump is alleged by some to have attacked Iran in order to distract from the Jeffrey Epstein case. And now? Melania resurrects the Epstein case in order to divert attention from Trump surrendering to Iran.

I started the day chatting with Nima:

Ray McGovern is on the road, so Mr. Scott Ritter filled in on Judge Napolitano’s Friday Intelligence Roundtable:

Last, I did a brief interview with a Pakistani friend who is now a citizen of the US — Mr. Waqas Ali, a newly minted lawyer who lives in Oklahoma: