Republican Rep. Carlos Gimenez of Florida voiced sharp frustration Tuesday over the prolonged U.S.-Iran peace negotiations, comparing the dynamic to the classic Peanuts gag where Charlie Brown repeatedly fails to kick a football held by Lucy.
Appearing on Fox Business's Varney & Co., Gimenez was asked about a Washington Post op-ed arguing that President Trump's push for Israel to halt strikes in Lebanon inadvertently benefits Iran. The congressman broke with the president, agreeing with the piece.
“I hate to depart from my president, but actually I agree with it,” Gimenez said. “Look, I’m starting to feel like we’re Charlie Brown and Iran is Lucy and every time we go kick the ball, it’s been taken away. You know, we’re close to a deal, a day away, two days away from a deal, and it’s not happening.”
He added that if he were betting in Las Vegas, “I’d be betting against in two days, we’re going to be right where we are today.” The lawmaker argued that Iran’s “bad behavior deserves punishment” and that Tehran is not facing consequences.
Gimenez agreed with host Stuart Varney that Iran currently holds the upper hand. He proposed the U.S. seize control of the Strait of Hormuz—calling it Tehran’s “trump card”—to reopen the waterway and force Iran to comply with U.S. terms. “Right now, they think they’re playing us—I happen to agree with them—I think they are playing us,” Gimenez said. “We need to take a little bit more direct action and take away that trump card and make them suffer a little bit.”
The comments come after Iran shot down a U.S. Apache helicopter near Oman’s coast Monday; two crew members were rescued by an unmanned Navy vessel Tuesday. The U.S. and Iran have maintained a fragile ceasefire while negotiating a deal to reopen the strait, end hostilities, and dismantle Iran’s nuclear program. Iran has remained defiant, launching retaliatory missiles at Israel after Israeli strikes on Lebanon Sunday. Iranian officials insist a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon is a prerequisite for any U.S. deal.
Trump told reporters Tuesday that with both sides calling off further attacks, “now we’re in the final throes of what will be a very, very good deal that will not in any way allow nuclear weapons.” He predicted the strait would reopen once an agreement is signed, possibly in “two or three days.”
Gimenez’s frustration echoes broader GOP skepticism. Bipartisan backlash has already stalled parts of Trump’s agenda, and some Republicans are wary of Iran’s intentions. The Florida congressman’s call for direct action on the Strait of Hormuz reflects a growing hawkish sentiment, even as the administration pursues diplomacy.
Meanwhile, the shift in U.S. focus to Iran has drawn attention away from other conflicts. Ukrainian President Zelensky has proposed direct talks with Putin, but the White House remains consumed by the Iran negotiations. Trump has admitted calling Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu “crazy” over Lebanon operations that he believes have complicated the U.S.-Iran talks.
