It is utterly amazing to me that so many people are so ill-informed as to what is actually happening with Iran. And it’s true. They only listen and believe their news channel -Fox News. It’s hard to believe what you hear on the news these days, or what you see on the internet. With AI running rampant on the web, I usually check and then double check what I read before I believe an ounce of it. But some people on the other side of the isle, like my friend Scott K. only watches Conservative news channels and he only believes what he sees on those outlets.
He said in a text, and I quote,
“Iran lies with every message. Obama paid Iran 1.7 billion and they still made nuks. Under the table. Under Trump Now they are not. The only reason gas was cheaper under Biden is he stole it from the old reserves. Iran just lies. Now with the straight closed. They are starving making no income or 90% less. Iran still has a few missiles left. Sadly they murdered 40k of there our people. Trump as taken out the leadership there 203 times in the last few months. And face it Muslims hate us and always have. That’s been that way for 47 years.
911 is the proof it was going on even then. We just have to keep hitting them until they starve
Hopefully the public can rise up and take over the leadership , the leadership hates their public anyway.”
Where do I begin with this. I can either dispute what Scott says in text messages or I can post them here. Obviously, I have decided to do it here, because I am so interested in letting my readers see what the other side of the isle is thinking.
Fact #1: How does Scott absolutely know that Iran is lying? Here is what Iran has posted, which are the conditions for the war to end. They are not scared of Trump. How can Scott K. say that Iran is lying?Is he part of the negotiations? The fact is the war is continuing, and Trump has no control on how it will end.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council has declared that the Strait of Hormuz will not reopen until the United States meets a strict six-point ultimatum to “correct its behavior.” The demands, issued by Secretary Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, require the U.S. to permanently end the war, lift all sanctions, and provide full financial compensation for war damages before normal naval traffic can resume.
Key Demands for Ending Hostilities
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End Aggression: Permanently cease all war and attacks against Iran and its allies in Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, and Iraq.
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Financial Reparations: Pay complete compensation for damages from what Iran calls two “imposed wars” and unconditionally release frozen assets.
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Military Withdrawal: Lift the U.S. naval blockade and withdraw all American naval and air forces from the region.
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Sanctions Relief: Remove all “cruel and illegal” sanctions imposed on the Iranian nation.
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Security Guarantees: Never again threaten Iran or insult its national and religious sanctities.
Current Negotiation Status While Iran and Oman report being in the final stages of a deal to manage shipping routes through the strait, Tehran insists full reopening remains contingent on these U.S. concessions. President Donald Trump has rejected the demand for reparations, countering that Iran should compensate the U.S. for American casualties, creating a significant deadlock in talks as of August 14, 2026. Imagine that. The United States attacks Iran, kills many of their civilians and destroys their infrastructure, and Iran has to pay? What kind of logic is that?
Fact # 2: So there Scott goes again, bummed out about Obama. He claims that Obama gave Iran $1.7 Billion. Here is the fact, explained in detail…
The Obama administration transferred a total of $1.7 billion to Iran in 2016 to settle a decades-old legal dispute over a failed pre-1979 arms deal. This sum consisted of $400 million in principal, which Iran had paid for military equipment never delivered after the revolution, plus approximately $1.3 billion in accrued interest and arbitration adjustments. It was there money, Scott K.
The $1.7 billion transferred to Iran in early 2016 was a publicly announced legal settlement of a decades-old dispute, not an “under the table” payment as Scott K states, though the delivery method involved cash flown in on cargo planes. The funds represented the return of $400 million in principal that Iran had paid the U.S. for military equipment before the 1979 revolution, plus approximately $1.3 billion in accrued interest.
Biden did not steal oil from the oil reserves. He used the oil, as he should as a reserve to serve a purpose.
Fact #3: Yes, gas prices decreased during periods when President Biden released oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), though analysts attribute the drop to a combination of the releases and other market forces. The Biden administration authorized a historic release of 180 million barrels in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which the Treasury Department estimates lowered gasoline prices by 17 to 42 cents per gallon. While prices fell from a peak of over $5 per gallon in June 2022 to roughly $3.70 later that year, critics argue the impact was temporary and that prices remained significantly higher than when Biden took office.
The SPR releases were the largest in history, draining the reserve to its lowest level since the 1980s (a drop of over 40%). Supporters contend this action prevented even higher price spikes and provided immediate relief, while opponents claim it was a political maneuver that compromised national security by depleting emergency stocks without a guaranteed refill plan. By August 2026, reports indicate the reserve had fallen below 300 million barrels, raising concerns about the nation’s ability to respond to future supply shocks.
When Biden did this, he brought down the price of gas at the pumps. That’s why he did that. He had the right as president to do that, and he did it for the American people. He took flack for it, but it kept gas prices down, not like Trump created was with Iran is doing. Scott K. is right about the oil, but he hasn’t a clue as to why Biden did it.
Fact #4: We have no real idea as to how Iran is starving with the Strait of Hormuz being blocked by the United States. Scott K. claims that they are making 90% less income. And guess what, Iran states that unless the United States pays for the cost of the war, the war will not end. This is where I hope Scott K. is right. I hope that Iran concedes, because unless they do, this war will continue. American service people on the carriers stationed at sea will not come home.
Fact #5: For what I see, the Iranians are continuing with their blockades to make sure that the war continues during the American mid-term elections.
Trump, who has become the least popular president in American history, (don’t ask Trump, because he lies, and claims he is still a popular president) cannot see Iran’s end game.
Fact #6: Trump has no control over the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranians continue to block the strait, and instead of working out a deal with Iran, Trump continues to put on a blockade with Iran thinking that instead of negotiating with the Iranians, he can do it through war.
Fact #7: Regarding the regime in Iran, killing “40k of their people” Scott K. is insulting me with that statement. He knows, or maybe he doesn’t that Trump along with Israel have kill many more Iranian civilians than the Ayatollah has ever killed. It’s called war crimes.
Estimates of Iranian citizens killed by US and Israeli forces vary significantly by source, ranging from 1,460 to over 3,636 confirmed civilian deaths as of mid-2026.
Iran’s official Foundation of Martyrs reported 3,468 total deaths (including 1,460 civilians and 2,008 military personnel) by late April, while the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) documented 3,636 total killed, comprising 1,701 civilians (including 307 children) and 1,221 military personnel.
Broader estimates from US and Israeli officials suggest up to 6,000+ total Iranian deaths, though these figures often combine military and civilian casualties without clear distinction. Independent monitors note that access restrictions and conflicting reporting make verifying the exact civilian toll difficult, with some early reports in March indicating over 1,000 civilian deaths in just the first five days of airstrikes.
Again, these deaths are war crimes. Trump and the Prime Minister of Israel are totally responsible for these deaths. Never mind what the leader in Iran has done. It’s what America has done. That’s what I’m concerned about. Somehow when this president is out of office, he will receive the justice that he deserves.
Fact #8: There is no proof that Donald Trump has taken out Iranian leadership 203 times. He ordered a strike on February 28, 2026, which killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and references the 2020 strike that killed IRGC commander Qasem Soleimani, but it does not support the claim of 203 separate actions. So what Scott K. has said in his text is absolutely a lie.
Fact #9: I don’t know where Scott K. comes up with “47 years” as he states Muslims hated America, but Anti-Muslim hostility in the United States is not a new phenomenon but has deep historical roots, with legal discrimination against Muslims dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries. So why does Scott K. blame Muslims for hating America, when it has been America that hated Muslims for centuries?
A real fact is that 911 was a wakeup call. It proved that the Muslims needed to find a way to show their contempt to America and it worked when they took down the twin towers. But they are not the only ones guilty of the hate between the Muslims and America. America needs to take the blame too.
So, was there an ounce of truth of what Scott K. said about Iran?
Maybe a titbit or two, but nothing much at all.
What his statement showed were more lies and made up theories about Iran. Hate between the two countries is now more severe than ever, thanks to Trump, now that the United States and Israel attacked their country and killed their civilians and destroyed some their infrastructure.
The next article will highlight the infrastructure Trump and Israel have destroyed within the Iranian country.