strikeMay 8, 2026

Jimmy Kimmel mocks Trump for Iran strategy that ‘mostly consists of flailing around’

Summary

Jimmy Kimmel mocks Donald Trump over Iran strategy that ‘mostly consists of flailing around’ Comedian jokes that US president’s list of threats against Iran ‘is now longer than Kash Patel’s bar tab’ Jimmy Kimmel mocked Donald Trump’s handling of negotiations with Iran, joking that the president’s “list of threats is now longer than Kash Patel’s bar tab”. On Wednesday night’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the late-night host brought up the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s busiest oil shipping routes. “The Strait of Hormuz is still closed for business, but the White House says we're close to a deal,” he said. “The details of this supposed deal are still very much in flux. As in, what the flux are we doing over there?” Iran closed the waterway over two months ago after the US and Israel launched a war on the Mideast nation. Iran further restricted traffic through the strait in retaliation for American military operations and a naval blockade. The strait carried 20 per cent of the world’s oil and gas supplies before the war and its closure drove up global energy prices, sparking fears of wider economic fallout. Talking about the structure of the proposed agreement with Iran, Kimmel continued: “According to sources familiar with it, it would include a moratorium on uranium enrichment for a period of longer than 10 years, which would be only five years shorter than the 15-year deal Obama made that Trump called the worst deal in history.” He was referring to the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran negotiated by Barack Obama’s administration formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which Trump repeatedly criticised and eventually tore up in 2018. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day New subscribers only. £9.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled. ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day New subscribers only. £9.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled. ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. “And now he's going to top it by making an even worse worst deal in history. It’s called The Art of the Deal, folks, you should read the book,” Kimmel said, bringing up Trump’s 1987 memoir. Kimmel also addressed Trump’s latest warning about military action against Iran. “If they don't agree, the bombing starts and it will be sadly at a much higher level and intensity than it was before,” Trump threatened on his Truth Social platform. In his post on Tuesday, Trump claimed Iran could end what “Epic Fury”, the name of the US military operation against the country, and reopen the Strait of Hormuz by accepting a deal with the US. He added that the “highly effective blockade” which the US imposed on Iranian ports and shipping routes after negotiations failed in April would then allow the waterway to be “open to all, including Iran”. “His list of threats is now longer than Kash Patel's bar tab,” Kimmel joked, referring to FBI director Kash Patel and recent allegations about his drinking habit. The Atlantic reported last month, citing anonymous current and former officials, that Patel had alarmed colleagues with episodes of excessive drinking and unexplained absences while leading the FBI. Patel called the report “categorically false” and filed a $250m defamation lawsuit against the magazine. Kimmel continued by mocking Trump’s negotiating style. “But this is how he does it,” he said. “For him, a negotiation, it’s like sex. He’s bad at it. It mostly consists of flailing around. And he can only do it for a short amount of time before he starts yelling that he’s finished.” The comedian recently mocked Trump’s newest executive order to restore the Presidential Fitness Test in schools nationwide, saying: “Only Donald Trump would bring back a test he would have no chance of passing.” The US president recently called on ABC to fire Kimmel after the comedian joked in April that First Lady Melania Trump had the glow of an “expectant widow”. Days after the sketch aired, a gunman attempted to storm the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, where Trump was in attendance. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments

Perspectives

Iranian Official

The Iranian government regards the US and Israeli war of aggression, naval blockade, and repeated threats as flagrant violations of its sovereignty, forcing the defensive closure of the Strait of Hormuz in legitimate retaliation to protect national security and regional interests. This act of resistance has disrupted 20 percent of global oil supplies, exposing the failure of foreign coercion against Iran’s independent policies. Attempts by Western figures like Jimmy Kimmel to mock such dynamics only highlight the aggressors’ futile efforts to undermine Iran’s steadfast defense of its rights.

Israeli

Jimmy Kimmel's mockery of U.S. Iran strategy ignores the regime's closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a direct escalation that threatens global energy routes while advancing its nuclear program as an existential danger to Israel. This move forms part of Tehran's proxy network strategy, deploying allies across the region to encircle and attack the Jewish state in retaliation for necessary defensive operations. Any viable deal must enforce extended uranium curbs to counter these threats, beyond the flawed Obama-era framework that enabled Iran's aggression.

Neutral

Comedian Jimmy Kimmel discussed US-Iran negotiations on his show, referencing the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and a reported proposed agreement that would impose a moratorium on uranium enrichment for more than 10 years. Kimmel stated that the US president’s list of threats against Iran is now longer than Kash Patel’s bar tab and compared the terms to a prior 15-year deal. The provided summary attributes the strait’s closure to Iranian retaliation for unspecified US and Israeli military actions, noting its prior role in carrying 20 per cent of global oil and gas supplies.

Western

Western and Israeli forces have conducted precise operations to neutralize Iran’s nuclear weapons program and regional aggression, prompting Tehran to close the Strait of Hormuz and disrupt 20% of global oil shipments. Negotiations now focus on securing a durable moratorium on uranium enrichment exceeding ten years, advancing strategic objectives to contain proliferation risks and restore maritime security.

Pro-Peace

The US and Israeli military campaign against Iran, including naval blockades and strikes, prompted the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, driving up global energy prices and inflicting widespread civilian hardship through shortages, inflation, and disrupted access to food and medicine. Jimmy Kimmel’s remarks on the erratic threats and proposed uranium moratorium underscore how prolonged warfare has escalated human costs far beyond any strategic gains. Reviving structured diplomatic talks, building on prior agreements, remains the clearest route to easing suffering without further violence.

Global South

From a Global South perspective, US and Israeli military strikes and the ensuing naval blockade on Iran exemplify neo-colonial aggression that violates national sovereignty over strategic waterways like the Strait of Hormuz, whose closure has spiked energy costs burdening developing nations. Western media's reduction of these tensions to late-night mockery, including jabs at Trump's erratic threats and a proposed enrichment moratorium shorter than Obama's rejected 2015 deal, underscores the hypocrisy of selective nuclear enforcement. International institutions have again failed to curb such power imbalances, allowing resource control to override equitable diplomacy.

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Sources

Shahana YasminBy Shahana Yasmin
Jimmy Kimmel mocks Donald Trump over Iran strategy that ‘mostly consists of flailing around’ Comedian jokes that US president’s list of threats against Iran ‘is now longer than Kash Patel’s bar tab’ Jimmy Kimmel mocked Donald Trump’s handling of negotiations with Iran, joking tha…

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