Qalibaf demands guarantees in talks
Iran says rights must be protected before any deal
Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad‑Baqer Qalibaf said negotiations with the United States will not yield an agreement unless Tehran is assured that the rights of the Iranian people are fully protected, declaring officials have “absolutely no trust in the enemy’s words and promises” and will demand tangible results before making reciprocal commitments. Speaking after taking his oath as re‑elected speaker, Qalibaf framed the confrontation with Washington as a “history‑making” war in which national unity, military readiness, and popular steadfastness have forced the adversary to retreat.
Qalibaf praised the armed forces’ achievements and said diplomacy must convert battlefield gains into political and legal victories, while warning that economic pressure and media manipulation are being used to sow discord within Iran. He outlined four arenas of struggle—military, public mobilization, diplomacy and service to the people—and urged preserving cohesion as the secret of victory. He also thanked the Leader of the Islamic Revolution for guidance he said would serve as Parliament’s roadmap.
The remarks come amid Pakistan‑mediated talks that have brought Tehran and Washington closer to a memorandum of understanding intended to end the conflict described by Iranian officials as an “illegal US‑Israeli aggression” that began with strikes on February 28. Iranian statements recount a campaign of retaliatory strikes and restrictions on transit through the Strait of Hormuz, and note that a temporary ceasefire brokered in Islamabad was later unilaterally extended by the US even as it imposed what Tehran calls a naval blockade.
Qalibaf reiterated deep distrust of U.S. assurances and insisted that any pact must produce verifiable safeguards for Iranian rights; otherwise, Tehran will not ratify an agreement. The statements underscore a tense negotiation environment in which military posture, public sentiment and diplomatic negotiations are tightly interlinked, and where Tehran seeks guarantees it considers non‑negotiable before committing to de‑escalation.
