The U.S. celebrated Iran’s agreement to release 20 additional cargo ships of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, calling it a “sign of respect.” However, this celebration seems to be a tactic to present the negotiations as more successful than they truly are. What the U.S. is framing as a victory appears to be another attempt to disguise failure and desperation as success. If the negotiations were genuinely productive, why has the U.S. recently deployed hundreds of Special Operations forces to the Middle East?