Ghalibaf mocks US blockade, says Iran’s borders too vast to seal
Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf mocked the US naval blockade against Iran, arguing that the country’s borders are too vast to be sealed off.
“If you build two walls, one from NYC to the West Coast and another from LA to the East Coast, the total length will be 7,755 km, which is still about 1,000 km short of Iran’s total borders. Good luck blockading a country with those borders😁,” Ghalibaf wrote in a post on X.
In a jab at US War Secretary Pete Hegseth, he added: “P.S. For Pete Hegseth: 1 km = 0.62 mi.”
Iran's president and parliament speaker are seeking Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s removal, accusing him of following the Revolutionary Guard chief’s instructions in nuclear talks without informing the president, two sources familiar with the matter told Iran International.
President Masoud Pezeshkian and Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf believe Araghchi has in recent weeks acted less as a cabinet minister tasked with implementing government policy and more as an aide to Ahmad Vahidi, the commander of the Revolutionary Guards, the sources said.
According to the sources who are familiar with ongoing discussions between the heads of Iran's executive and legislative branches, Araghchi has acted over the past two weeks without informing Pezeshkian, in full coordination with Vahidi and based on his directives.
The situation has caused deep dissatisfaction for Pezeshkian, who has told people close to him that he will dismiss Araghchi if it continues, the sources added.
Iran's president and parliament speaker are seeking Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s removal, accusing him of following the Revolutionary Guard chief’s instructions in nuclear talks without informing the president, two sources familiar with the matter told Iran International.
President Masoud Pezeshkian and Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf believe Araghchi has in recent weeks acted less as a cabinet minister tasked with implementing government policy and more as an aide to Ahmad Vahidi, the commander of the Revolutionary Guards, the sources said.
According to the sources who are familiar with ongoing discussions between the heads of Iran's executive and legislative branches, Araghchi has acted over the past two weeks without informing Pezeshkian, in full coordination with Vahidi and based on his directives.
The situation has caused deep dissatisfaction for Pezeshkian, who has told people close to him that he will dismiss Araghchi if it continues, the sources said.
Reports of divisions among Islamic Republic officials had previously emerged. On March 28, reports pointed to serious disagreements between Pezeshkian and Vahidi, the Revolutionary Guards commander who is now said to be the most powerful figure in the force.
Informed sources told Iran International at the time that the dispute stemmed from “the handling of the war and its destructive consequences for people’s livelihoods and the country’s economy.”
Three days later, Iran International received reports that Pezeshkian was frustrated at being placed in a “complete political deadlock” and that he had even been stripped of the authority to appoint replacements for government officials killed during the war.
According to that report, Vahidi is said to have explicitly declared that, because of the critical wartime situation, all key and sensitive managerial posts must, until further notice, be directly selected and run by the Revolutionary Guards.
Ghalibaf-led negotiations
On April 27, a group of lawmakers aligned with hardline politician Saeed Jalili declined to sign a parliamentary statement backing Iran’s negotiating team led by Ghalibaf, despite broad support from 261 other MPs.
The statement expressed confidence in the negotiating delegation. However, several prominent hardline figures—including Mahmoud Nabavian, Mohammad Taghi Naqadali, Morteza Aghatehrani, Amirhossein Sabeti, Hamid Rasaei, Ruhollah Izadkhah and Meysam Zohourian—did not sign the statement.
Nabavian was one of the members of the Iranian delegation led by Ghalibaf who attended the first round of Islamabad talks with the United States.
Three days before the statement was published, Iran International reported, citing informed sources in Iran, that Ghalibaf had resigned as head of Iran's negotiating team after being reprimanded over efforts to include the nuclear energy issue in talks.
That report said Araghchi, ahead of his latest trip to Pakistan to deliver the Islamic Republic’s message to Pakistani officials, was seeking to take over leadership of the negotiations following Ghalibaf’s departure.
Araghchi finally visited Islamabad on April 24 alone and handed over Tehran's proposal, which was later rejected by the US president, according to media reports.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Thursday the Trump administration does not currently need congressional authorization for military action against Iran, arguing that the ceasefire has paused or stopped the 60-day deadline under the War Powers Resolution.
Under the 1973 War Powers Resolution, a US administration must end the use of armed forces within 60 days of notifying Congress unless lawmakers authorize the operation, extend the period, or are unable to meet. The deadline for the Iran war is expected at the end of this week.
Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Hegseth said the ceasefire between the United States and Iran, which took effect on April 8, meant the administration did not need congressional approval at this stage, despite the ongoing US naval blockade.
“Ultimately, I would defer to the White House and the White House counsel on that; however, we are in a ceasefire right now, which our understanding means the 60-day clock pauses or stops in a ceasefire,” Hegseth said in response to a question from Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine.
“I do not believe the statute would support that,” Kaine replied. The expiration of the 60-day clock is “going to pose a really important legal question for the administration there,” he said.
The United States has asked partner countries to join its newly formed Maritime Freedom Coalition to help secure passage through the Strait of Hormuz and Persian Gulf waterways, according to a State Department cable.
The cable, sent this week to US diplomatic posts around the world, instructed diplomats to announce the coalition and “ask for partner participation” by Friday.
It also told diplomats not to discuss the initiative with “US adversaries, including Russia, China, Belarus, and Cuba.”
According to the cable, which was first reported by the Wall Street Journal, the coalition will be led by the State and Defense Departments through US Central Command.
“The MFC will take steps to ensure safe passage, including providing real-time information, safety guidance, and coordination to ensure vessels can transit these waters securely,” the cable said.
President Donald Trump has on several occasions criticized NATO allies and European countries for not doing enough to help the United States reopen and secure the Strait of Hormuz which has been effectively closed after the Iran war.
US blockade
The US initiative comes as Washington has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports since April 13, sharply reducing Iran’s oil exports and intensifying pressure on Tehran’s access to maritime trade routes.
Iranian crude shipments that successfully moved out of the Gulf of Oman fell to about four million barrels between April 13 and April 25, Reuters reported, citing oil analytics firm Vortexa.
That was down more than 80% from a comparable period in March, when Iran exported 23.4 million barrels, according to LSEG data cited by Reuters.
Reuters said only a handful of tankers carrying Iranian crude left the Gulf of Oman during that period.
Some Iranian vessels have turned off tracking systems, while US forces have turned back Iranian tankers, making it impossible to determine how much crude Iran is still delivering to customers, particularly China.
President Donald Trump’s administration remains “in active conversations” with Congress over the conflict with Iran as the 60-day deadline under the War Powers Resolution approaches, the White House principal deputy press secretary told Iran International.
“President Trump has been transparent with the Hill since before Operation Epic Fury began, and administration officials provided over 30 bipartisan briefings for Members of Congress to keep them apprised of military updates,” Anna Kelly said.
“The President’s preference is always diplomacy, and Iran wants to make a deal,” she added.
Kelly said "the administration is in active conversations with the Hill on this topic. Members of Congress who try to score political points by usurping the Commander-in-Chief’s authority would only undermine the United States Military abroad, which no elected official should want to do.”
The War Powers Resolution requires the president to terminate the use of US armed forces within 60 days unless Congress authorizes the action, extends the period, or is physically unable to meet.
