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⚡️ Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf spoke in an exclusive interview with IRIB News on Wednesday night, saying the world’s first military, political and economic power, alongise Israel, which is a nuclear power with the latest technologies, stood against Iran, noting the battlefield of the war had global impacts and was an international war, and added the war was a confrontation between right and wrong.
🔹 Ghalibaf said the ‘martyred Imam’ taught us that not only going like Hosseini, but living like Hosseini and becoming Hosseini was also the path of truth: “The flag of truth, justice, freedom, and Ashura culture was taken from our great Imam and entrusted to his righteous son,” he added.
🔹 According to the Speaker, the difference between the current round of negotiations and previous rounds is that ‘today the knowledge of victory on the battlefield supports the negotiations,’ stating there was no ‘submissiveness or sloganeering in the negotiation method.
🔹 “When I talk about negotiation and diplomacy, I mean diplomacy of power,” he said: “During the JCPOA period, I also said I am not against negotiation, but I emphasised that I agree with a negotiation that itself is a method of struggle,” Ghalibaf continued.
🔹 Ghalibaf said the difference between the current round and previous rounds is that today ‘this knowledge of victory on the battlefield, which both enemies and friends have acknowledged, supports the negotiation,’ adding: “Our armed forces have triumphed against this fully equipped enemy.”
🔹 “In negotiation that is a method of struggle, there is no submissiveness, and alongside that, there is no place for sloganeering,” Ghalibad said: “If we keep repeating slogans, the enemy understand that the threats are hollow, and this causes them to become bolder and more audacious.”
🔹 Ghalibaf said the developments may be regional, but their impacts are global: “In the recent war, the people of Iran stood against a war imposed on us by the world’s leading military and economic power and the Israeli regime,” he said.
🔹 According to Ghalibaf, the war was ongoing on four fronts, which included the military front, the street combat front, the diplomatic combat front, and the service to the people front, stating the people entered the street combat front from the beginning and, according to the ‘martyr leader of the revolution, were sent forth.’
🔹 “In the recent war, we witnessed a confrontation between the arrogant front and the monotheistic front,” Ghalibaf said: “We defeated the United States and the Zionist regime, the world’s top military powers, and did not allow them to achieve any of the 9 declared objectives.”
🔹 Ghalibaf continued: “These four fronts are precisely interconnected in such a way that the flag of combat against the enemy is constantly shifting among these combat fronts according to the conditions, and all of these fronts are shaping Iran’s victory.”
🔹 While negotiations were ongoing, Iran responded appropriately to all actions within the Persian Gulf: “In the Third Imposed War, for example, the events that took place in the Persian Gulf during the ceasefire are noteworthy,” he said, adding: At that time, it was the enemy who was pursuing the ceasefire, and we initially did not accept it.”
🔹 “Anyway, when the ceasefire was implemented, you saw that the enemy took actions in the persian Gulf and we immediately reacted,” Ghalibaf continued: “The latest example was the incident involving the helicopter,” he said: “Also, two enemy patrol boats that intended to pass through the Strait of Hormuz were hit and caught fire extensively; a fact confirmed by satellite images,” the Speaker alleged.
🔹 Ghalibaf added: “On the other hand, every airport in any country from which enemy fighter jets took off was targeted – all these events happened while we were simultaneously negotiating.”
🔹 “With the backing of the field, through negotiation, we were able to stop the regime’s attack on Dahieh, Ghalibaf said, adding that after the Nasr operation, ‘the enemy understood that when we talk about negotiation, our sword is also ready at the same time.’
🔹 Ghalibaf said that on Sunday, negotiations were ongoing with mediators when the attack on Dahieh occurred: “Right there, in the middle of negotiations, I immediately tweeted that we would definitely respond to the attack on Dahieh,” he noted, saying: “After that, the atmosphere of the negotiations changed completely.”
🔹 “We explicitly stated that we would respond to any circumstances,” Ghalibaf continued: “Our friends on the ground were also ready and had the necessary command,” adding that they said not to respond: “But we said we would definitely respond and, if you react, we will expand the scope of the response.”
🔹 Everything Iran wanted to achieve through military action was obtained several times over – something not even comparable – through negotiations, Ghalibaf noted: “You saw that Trump, the President of the United States, acted until 2am to establish a ceasefire not just in Dahieh but across Lebanon, and spoke to Netanyahu in that manner,” adding that it showed the negotiation was also a method of struggle, but the main thing was that Iran achieved their goal.
🔹 “My job is not diplomacy; I am a fighter, but with the spirit and culture of a fighter, I pursue diplomatic work,” the minister stated, adding: “According to the agreements signed, the siege was supposed to be lifted within a 30-day period, but Trump announced that the siege would be lifted that very night, and in practice, this happened.”
🔹 Ghalibaf said the achievement was made under the shadow of unity and strength: “Our goal was to relieve the pressure and fire from the people – if this negotiation had not taken place, such an event have happened just by firing a missile? No,” he said, adding: “Of course, if that missile, that courage, and that strength had not existed, this success would not have been achieved.”
🔹 During a conversation with his Lebanese counterpart, Ghalibaf emphasised that Iran and the Islamic Revolution have become a source for pride in the Islamic world: “According to Mr Nabih Berri, the people of Lebanon, regardless of their religion, sect, or inclination, see this power and consider it a source of honour from the Islamic world and all the free people of the world.”
🔹 “The message from Sheikh Naeem was actually a message of appreciation for the Supreme Leader of the revolution, the brave and dignified nation of Iran, and the armed forces who stood firm and sacrificed their lives on this path,” he said, adding: “We too, in our capacity as negotiators, have pursued this path as fighters.”
🔹 Ghalibaf said: “Any war that ends in victory, if it ultimately does not lead to a legal and political document and those victories are not recorded, those victories will have no benefit, neither in history, nor in its advantages, but right now, we won the to-day war, so what is this achievement? The achievement is formed in negotiation.”
🔹 The minister continued: “We were in the middle of negotiations when Dahieh was attacked, we had to respond, right there in the negotiation, we said we would strike,” adding: “When I was speaking there, our discussions were conveyed to the other side in less than a few minutes.
🔹 Ghalibaf stated that the mediator related the talks, and this is natural: “Just as we convey that we are proceeding with decisions,” adding: “I say part of the texts we had to reach a final understanding on, in the 50 or 60 days we negotiated, did not reach a result, but in a few hours we did.”
🔹 “In the memorandum we signed, the siege was supposed to happen within 30 days, but it happened that very night,” the minister noted: “You saw Trump in his first tweet say he lifted the naval blockade of Iran; of course, the Strait of Hormuz is also open, other ships can sail, and this issue was resolved.”
🔹 Ghalibaf said: “Immediately, I announced the second part, the Strait of Hormuz, is not open now,” stating: “I am the most distrustful person towards America, especially as a negotiator, adding that he told Mr JD Vance in Islamabad that there was complete mistrust.
🔹 “Not only during the revolution, we have distrust towards America, even before the revolution, it betrayed our people so much, from 1953 after the revolution until this war,” Ghalibaf said: “But we have come here in good faith, yet we speak to you with authority.”
🔹 “Authority is also in this matter; the US president’s tweet about this memorandum and this action was retracted and corrected within several minutes, saying it will start from Saturday according to the Memorandum, and this will be done,” Ghalibaf said.
🔹 “This means a powerful negotiation,” the minister noted: “This cannot happen except with the field and military power, and military power alone can never achieve such great goals with fire alone,” adding: “If we wanted to break the siege, we would have had to wage a war bigger than the 38-day war to break it, but in one night, under the shadow of that missile, this happened.”
🔹 Ghalibaf said that after signing the memorandum of understanding, it is time for Jihad in the field of service, and the three branches of government must mobilise and reach the people.
🔹 “Four fields of struggle are properly doing their work, and under the current conditions, the flag will be in the hands of the field of service to the people,” he said, adding: We had economic problems before, which increased during the war, and it is necessary to pay attention to the livelihood of the people in this regard.”
🔹 Ghalibaf said his distrust and scepticism towards the US was greater than anyone else’s, saying that even if there was a final agreement and it was approved by a Security Council resolution, it is still not trustworthy at all: “Our guarantee is Iran’s power,” he warned.
🔹 “The most important guarantees are reliance on God, Ashura culture, Iranian zeal, and the unity of the people,” adding that Iran’s power had caused three European countries that breached the JCPOA, listed the IRGC as a terrorist organisation, and sought to overthrow the Islamic Republic system to seek negotiations with Iran to lift sanctions.
🔹 Ghalibaf said: “We must definitely act with rationality, the slogan is not power,” he said: “A knot that can be untied by hand does not need to be untied with teeth, if we shout slogans twice but lack power, it means discredit and helping the enemy.”
🔹 According to Ghalibaf, he wasn’t a volunteer to join the negotiating team, stating he was reluctant, so before accepting the responsibility of negotiations, he did everything he could to avoid being assigned the duty.
🔹 “One of my reasons for accepting the responsibility was that Trump was the planner, executor, and overseer of General Qasem’s assassination,” he said, stating: “General Soleimani was dear to the entire Islamic world, but certainly, he was different for me personally,” asking: “Do you think it is easy for me to draft a text with such a person,” as someone who killed someone dear.
🔹 But when Ghalibaf saw that none of the officials suggested anyone else and Ghalibaf’s proposals weren’t accepted, he had to do what was his born duty: “We are not supposed to do what we like, but rater what is our duty,” he noted.
🔹 Ghalibaf said when he saw Vance’s remarks about Lebanon while boarding the plane, he tweeted at the airport before the flight that Iran would not start negotiations until the situation in Lebanon was clear.
🔹 “When we arrived in Pakistan, we talked for two and a half hours with Asim Munir and the Pakistani Foreign Minister as mediators about Lebanon,” Ghalibaf stated: “Later, I learned that Vance also discussed Lebanon for about the same amount of time after arriving at the airport.”
🔹 Before negotiations began, Asim Munir told me that he had spoken with Vance about Lebanon, and the topic was raised at the start of the tripart meeting, where in the end, Vance accepted Iran’s position, Ghalibaf stated.
🔹 “Now, based on the memorandum of understanding, clauses 4, 5, 10 and 11 must be implemented first, and I now emphasise that clause 1 should also be prioritised so that after that we can move on to the other clauses of the memorandum,” he told the interviewer.
🔹 Ghalibaf said that sometimes Iran’s power is logic, and sometimes the enemy’s logic is power; in such situations, it must be disciplined, he said, adding that when the other side sits at the table and wants to negotiate, it should be spoken to with distrust but in good faith.
🔹 “You saw that Trump, while according to the agreement the blockade was supposed to be lifted within 30 days, implemented it overnight, also, the ceasefire expanded from Dahieh to all over Lebanon,” he said, adding: “Of course, we know that we are negotiating with an untrustworthy and reliable enemy.”
🔹 Speaking of the Strait of Hormuz, Ghalibaf said that coastal countries of the Straits have rights and duties under international law, including that others must pay for their services: “God created Iran’s enemies from fools and caused Iran’s potential capacity in the Strait of Hormuz to become actual,” he said, adding: “Iran has sovereign rights in the Strait of Hormuz and will naturally charge fees for services.”
🔹 Ghalibaf said that they have been given directives from the Supreme Leader, and its their duty to put those directives into practice during the negotiations: “The issues currently being discussed are the end of the war, which has been announced, and the lifting of the siege, which has occurred,” he said.
🔹 “During the war, I posted a tweet saying the Strait of Hormuz will never return to its previous conditions and today it remains the same,” he continued: “Of course, this does not mean that we want to act against international laws and maritime regulations in the Strait of Hormuz – never! We operate within the framework of international laws.”
🔹 Iran’s blocked funds must be in Iran’s accounts and under the control of the Central Bank under the agreement, Ghalibaf said, stating that a credit line meant the Central Bank can open an LC for anyone it wants at any time.
🔹 “I assure you that wherever the enemy does not fulfill its commitments, our policy is ‘turn so we can turn,’ but if it fulfills its commitments, we will also comply,” Ghalibaf said: “If the enemy wants to betray, we the people are on the field, and the distance between my diplomatic battlefield and the military battlefield is not far,” warning that fingers were on triggers.
🔹 Ghalibaf added: “To anyone who des not understand logic, we will powerfully make them understand logic,” stating: “I am not a diplomat, but I know well how to make the US understand what action it must take.”
🔹 The Speaker said that the United Nations hasn’t even issued a statement declaring the US as the aggressor, and therefore they do not accept that they are the aggressor: “In a world where the law of the jungle prevails, we must pursue issues with our own power.”
🔹 “Of course, clause 6 of the memorandum mentions the subject using the terms reconstruction and economic developments,” he continued: “In this clause, $300 billion have been allocated to be invested in Iran, part of which will be spent on reconstruction.”
🔹 Ghalibaf stated: “Every commitment we have accepted in the memorandum is based in the principle of ‘action for action,’” stating that clause 13 was also set on this basis: “Meaning that if the US doesn’t fulfill its commitments, we will not take any action.”
🔹 “The enemy sought to create instability and overthrow in our country, even some friendly countries, during the first 12 and 20 days of the recent war, thought the Islamic Republic was finished,” Ghalibaf said,
🔹 Ghalibaf continued: “But today, the situation has developed in such a way that all governments and nations have witnessed the power and capability of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” adding: “Our position is clear – wherever the US does not fulfill its commitments, it is impossible for the Islamic Republic of Iran to fulfill its commitments.,”
🔹 The Speaker thanked the Supreme Leader ‘who guided and led us on this path,’ wherever necessary, ‘he gave warnings and wherever support was needed, he provided backing,” Ghalibaf said, also thanking the people of Iran for their tolerance: All of these demonstrate the sensitivity and concern of the people regarding the fate of the country,” he said.
🔹 “Truly, all these achievements and the power logic we speak of today are indebted to the struggles and sacrifices of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he concluded, saying: “God bless to all commanders, fighters, and armed forces and sincerely appreciate their efforts and steadfastness.”
