Rep. Carlos Giménez (R-Fla.) compared U.S. negotiations with Iran to “Peanuts” character Charlie Brown getting duped by Lucy’s famous football ruse on Tuesday, telling Fox Business he wouldn’t bet on a deal happening anytime soon.

Asked if President Donald Trump was helping Iran by telling Israeli President Benjamin Netayahu to halt bombing Lebanon in hope of appeasing Iranian leaders, a stance shared in an opinion piece from The Washington Post’s editorial board on Monday, Giménez told host Stuart Varney he just didn’t think Trump’s strategy was working.

“Look, I’m starting to feel like we’re Charlie Brown and Iran is Lucy, and every time we go to kick the ball, it’s taken away,” the Florida congressman said, referring to the “Peanuts” character’s futile quest to boot a football, endlessly sabotaged by his pint-sized pal.

GOP Rep. Carlos Gimenez: "I'm starting to feel like we're Charlie Brown and Iran is Lucy, and every time we go to kick the ball it's taken away. 'We're close to a deal, we're 2 days from a deal, we're 3 days from a deal,' and it's not happening. If I were in Vegas right now, I'd… pic.twitter.com/Yfwzvm08Rf

Expressing frustration at Trump’s persistent promises about being on the cusp of a deal, Giménez parroted the president as he said, “‘We’re close to a deal, we’re two days from a deal, we’re three days from a deal,’ and it’s not happening.”

The congressman wasn’t optimistic about the prospect of progress, though on Monday Trump did claim the U.S. and Iran were in the “final throes” of their negotiations.

“If I were in Vegas right now, I’d be betting that in two days we’ll be right where we are today,” Gimenez said, adding that he believed Iran “deserves punishment” for retaliating at Israel over its strikes on ally Lebanon.

Negotiations between the nations appeared to hit another obstacle on Monday, when Trump claimed Iranians had shot down an Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. “must” respond to the attack.

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