Russian state TV mocks Trump over Iran – 'They're dunking him in Strait of Hormuz'

A Russian state TV panel has taken aim at Donald Trump over his handling of the Iran war, with one commentator joking the US president is being "dunked in the Strait of Hormuz ". The remarks came during Russian TV show The Meeting Place, where a panel of experts slammed the US president for being obsessed with his own image and dragging himself into events he can't control. Asked whether tensions with Iran are easing or heading towards further escalation, journalist Maxim Yusin said Trump was effectively being "dunked in the Strait of Hormuz" as he's losing political leverage in the conflict. He argued that the president "presents himself as a winner on social media" but swings between threats and resolutions, trying to sound forceful while actually looking for a way out of escalation without appearing weak. "Don't focus on his words, especially since you can see how his statements turn around by 180 degrees," Yusin told the panel. "He wants to get out of this conflict, but also to save face [he] present[s] himself as a winner, at least in his own social media. "Iranians are not allowing him to do so. Iranians have every right to be cynical and cruel. They're dunking him into the waters of the Hormuz Strait." Yusin said Trump will "post a few of these pseudo-victorious videos" and "rejoice in his elderly senility," but added: "The real tragedy is that the whole world is starting to live in the brain of an old dotard. "This is what’s so horrendous. We're already trying to imagine how he can justify it in his virtual world that he himself concocted. It will keep going this way. He doesn’t want to wage a war." Alexei Naumov, expert for the Russian International Affairs Council, agreed, saying Trump would not want oil and fuel prices to rise because of the impact on voters. "He would not want oil prices to rise, he would not want gasoline prices to rise, but what he doesn't want most is his own humiliation," Naumov said. "And to prevent this humiliation, he'll be ready to throw himself into the furnace." Political scientist Andrey Sidorchik said Iran has no reason to negotiate with Trump, adding that Tehran is acting in its own interest and has no incentive to help him "save face". "The Iranians is behaving absolutely correctly by insisting upon their conditions," he told the panel. "Why in the world would they concede to Trump and allow him to somehow save face? Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are due to land in Pakistan on Saturday for renewed negotiations with Iran, the White House said. However, Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson has said "no meeting is planned to take place between Iran and the US". Iran's observations will instead be "conveyed to Pakistan", they added.