The United States and Iran both claim victory as last-minute wrangling continues over a deal

As ceasefire talks between the United States and Iran drag on with no clear end in sight, both sides are working hard to appear like the winner. With defeat leaving both governments politically cornered, they are focusing on propaganda and on fine-tuning the wording of the agreement to avoid giving their publics the impression that they lost.
■ The United States bristles at Iran's "victory" narrative
In a statement sent to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) on the 26th local time, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Sayyid Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, claimed that Iran had effectively won. He said, "Iran's brave fighters and martyrdom-seeking army, together with the fighters of the resistance front, especially our dear Lebanon (Hezbollah), have achieved a brilliant victory against the terrorist forces of the United States and the Zionists (Israel), armed to the teeth." He then referred to U.S. military bases in the Middle East and argued that "the United States will no longer secure safe areas in this region to provoke and deploy military bases, and it will continue to decline from its former standing." Earlier, Esmail Baghaei, a spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry, posted a doctored image on social media platform X on the 24th, suggesting that the United States had lost to Iran.
U.S. President Donald Trump, whose country attacked Iran together with Israel starting on Feb. 28, had already said in a speech on March 11, "We won." He also argued immediately after announcing a ceasefire with Iran on the 7th of last month that "the ceasefire agreement with Iran is a complete victory for the United States" and that there was "no doubt" about it. In an interview on the 30th of last month, Trump said, "We have already won, but I want to win by a bigger margin."
Even after Trump's remarks, however, fighting continued around Iran. Among ordinary Americans and hard-line Republicans, frustration with the Trump administration is growing as a clear end-of-war agreement remains delayed. In a report on the 23rd, U.S. political outlet Axios claimed that the two sides were preparing a memorandum of understanding covering a 60-day extension of the ceasefire, denuclearization, and an agreement to keep the Strait of Hormuz open.
■ Focus on the memorandum of understanding
Aaron David Miller, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP), said on the 26th through the political outlet The Hill that Trump's room to maneuver had narrowed. He noted that the memorandum of understanding under discussion by the United States and Iran would not be legally binding. Miller said, "Trump may not be able to tolerate looking like a loser, but this is not something he can simply fix." He added that Trump had "very few options" when it came to denuclearization and the Strait of Hormuz.
Miller also said that "the way both the United States and Iran phrase things matters," adding that the victory claims made by both sides are aimed at domestic supporters and regional allies, given that each knows the other is claiming victory. He explained that both Trump and Mojtaba must understand that "neither side can be a complete winner."
If the two governments want to claim victory, the wording and conditions of the memorandum will be crucial. Trump said on Truth Social on the 26th that he would hold a Cabinet meeting at the White House the following day. It would be the 12th Cabinet meeting since the start of his second administration. A White House official said the meeting would discuss economic achievements, but the New York Post claimed the main topic would be the war with Iran.
That same day, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a phone call with Qatar's Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani that Iran was ready to finish work aimed at ending conflict and tensions in the Middle East. He also said that "serious efforts are under way to finalize the document and its clauses." In a series of calls that day with the leaders of Egypt, Türkiye, and Oman, Pezeshkian stressed that he was ready to reach a "dignified agreement" to end the war.
Meanwhile, on the 26th, West Texas Intermediate crude oil (WTI) futures in the U.S. market fell 2.8% from the previous session to $93.89 per barrel. Brent crude oil futures, by contrast, rose 3.6% to $99.58 per barrel.
pjw@fnnews.com Park Jong-won Reporter