All In with Chris Hayes Trump’s ‘deal’ with Iran was smoke and mirrors, says Velshi
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Apr 9, 2026 
Anne Applebaum, Pulitzer-winning historian known for tracking authoritarian playbooks. Senator Chris Van Hollen, Maryland senator focused on congressional oversight. Ben Rhodes, former deputy national security advisor and foreign policy podcaster. They discuss Trump’s fragile Iran ceasefire, legal and moral alarms over threats, congressional tools to check the presidency, and authoritarian playbooks inspired by Viktor Orban.
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Ceasefire With Iran Was Immediate Fragile And Self-Undermined
- Donald Trump negotiated a fragile two-week ceasefire with Iran that collapsed within 24 hours amid conflicting public and private messages from the White House.
- Iran resumed blocking the Strait of Hormuz after the U.S. excluded Lebanon from the ceasefire and Iranian officials said the U.S. violated terms.
Bloomberg Data Contradicted White House Claims About Shipping
- Ship-tracking data showed only three ships departed before Iran shut the Strait, out of ~800 tankers waiting, contradicting White House claims of resumed safe passage.
- Bloomberg data was cited to show minimal movement despite U.S. statements.
Omitting Lebanon Undermined Ceasefire Credibility
- Excluding Lebanon from the U.S. ceasefire message allowed Israel to escalate bombing, prompting Iran to re-close the Strait and nullify negotiations.
- Ali Velshi highlighted 100 airstrikes in 10 minutes in Lebanon and 182 killed that day.