Fox News Host Jessica Tarlov Expresses Bewilderment Over Trump's Potential Iran Deal
Fox News host Jessica Tarlov on Wednesday voiced profound confusion regarding President Donald Trump and his administration's potential agreement with Iran amid the temporarily halted conflict. She highlighted that Trump could become the first U.S. leader "in recent memory" to leave Iran without economic sanctions.
Details of the Proposed Agreement
Tarlov outlined specific points from the deal, referencing a response Iran sent to U.S. proposals. "I mean, the deal, the 10 points that they sent in in response to our 15 points, allow them, as Dana [Perino] said, to control the Strait of Hormuz and to decide what they charge," Tarlov stated. "So that could be $2 million per tanker and they split that with the Omanis."
The sole liberal co-host on "The Five" further noted a Financial Times report about a proposal for Iran to charge one dollar's worth of cryptocurrency for every barrel of oil transported through the strait. "Or then the FT reported this morning a proposal to do a dollar for every barrel, and they want it to be paid in crypto, which would be untraceable, and we know that because Donald Trump loves to be paid in crypto," she added.
This information aligns with statements from Hamid Hosseini, a spokesperson for Iran's Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Products Exporters' Union, who confirmed the cryptocurrency plan to the Financial Times.
Concerns Over Nuclear Program and Proxy Forces
Tarlov emphasized that this development is not the only unintended consequence of Trump's war, which began in late February for various and often contradictory reasons. The conflict was ostensibly paused on Tuesday after the U.S. and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire.
"No shutting down of the nuclear program, you can continue to enrich uranium," she warned. "The leadership, not a problem, can keep supporting those proxy forces — that's the Hezbollah problem — and then, that sanctions would be lifted."
She continued, "We already took off $14 billion in sanctions. This would go even further, and Donald Trump would be the first president, certainly in recent memory, that didn't have economic sanctions on Iran."
Questioning the Ceasefire's Validity
When co-host Jesse Watters inquired about her stance on the two-week ceasefire announced by Trump on Tuesday, Tarlov responded bluntly, "I stand, I think, in reality that there is no ceasefire."
She elaborated, "We know that Israel was sending rockets back to Iran. We know what today has looked like in Lebanon with what the Israelis are doing there. It's one of the highest death toll days. So, the ceasefire was a complete fiction."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated he would halt strikes on Iran during negotiations with the U.S. and lifted his national state of emergency. However, he clarified that the deal does not require Israel to stop strikes on Lebanon against alleged Hezbollah forces.
Israeli strikes on Wednesday resulted in at least 203 fatalities, including children, and injured over 1,000 people in Beirut, according to Lebanon's health ministry. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned the attacks as a "blatant violation" of international and humanitarian law.
Tarlov's History of Criticizing Trump
Tarlov has consistently criticized Trump on air. Following his Easter Sunday threat to target civilian infrastructure in Iran, she posted on X, "What an embarrassment this man is." Trump reportedly demanded Fox News remove her from the air the next day.
This incident underscores the ongoing tensions between the president and media figures, even within traditionally supportive networks.
