Actually posted March 22, 2015  7:21 p.m. CDT

While we necessarily focus on President Obama’s Palestinian gambit and his assault on Israel, we must keep A CLOSE eye on his Iran deal shenanigans. He sent a personal Nowruz video message to the Iranian people and leaders Thursday blaming “hard-liners” in Iran and America as well as other countries (read Israel) for lack of an agreement. He spoke almost poetically to the Iranian people about how wonderful their world would be if, with their support, an agreement could be reached. Take a look:

The sweet talk was completely filled with misleading language. The oft repeated declaration that Ayatollah Khamenei had issued a fatwa against nuclear weapons is a perfect example. The fatwa didn’t happen and doesn’t exist. One of our favorites, Andy McCarthy wrote Monday:

But the “fatwa” in question does not exist.

The invaluable Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) has done extensive research into compilations of Khamenei’s published fatwas. (See here and here, and citations therein.) No such fatwa has ever been published.

In a sharia state, particularly the one in Iran that is actually run by the country’s top sharia jurists, fatwas are important statements of governing law, like statutes are in the U.S. Yet despite repeated requests, Iran has never produced the purported anti-nuclear weapons fatwa from Khamenei.

The Iranian Regime’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei response was predictable. From Iranian Press TV via William A Jacobson AT Legal Insurrection:

“Obama’s Norouz message included dishonest assertions and his claim of friendship for Iranian people was not sincere,” the Leader said, noting that Obama’s claim that there are people in Iran who do not want nuclear case to be resolved through diplomacy is a lie.

What the Iranian nation is resisting against is bullying approach of the United States, Ayatollah Khamenei noted.

“They [the Americans] say [to Iranian negotiators] ‘you come here and listen to what we say and implement them word for word’. But our nation will resist against it and will never accept this.”

The second point, Ayatollah Khamenei said, negotiations with the United States are just about the nuclear case and does not cover regional issues or issues related to Iran’s domestic issues, including defense matters.

“Iran and the US have opposite views on regional issues. We want security and calm in the region, but the Arrogant powers led by the America pursue the policy of sowing insecurity in the region, which is quite the opposite of our goals.”

The third point, as put by the Leader, was removal of anti-Iran sanctions, which should be discussed as a part of nuclear talks, and should not be considered a result of those talks.

Ayatollah Khamenei added, “The America says ‘we sign the agreement and monitor [Iran’s] behavior and then remove the sanctions’. This is erroneous and unacceptable and Iran will never accept this. This is the Americans’ ploy. Removal of sanctions should be part of any agreement.”

The Ayatollah’s sharp blowback doesn’t matter to Obama. The Nowruz message was a head fake to give him room with you, me, our elected leaders and some in the media.

Obama seems almost certain to miss his end of March deadline for an agreement with Iran. He will extend the deadline and make a deal acceptable to Iran’s Supreme Leader. That Obama and Secretary Kerry lie about this as well as other hot spots doesn’t matter. That Khamenei and his leadership team are not fooled and publicly rebuke Obama/Kerry doesn’t matter. That most Americans, specifically the national media, will believe much of what Obama/Kerry say and not know or care what the Iranian response is is what Obama needs. It is critical he does not get it.