Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said in a Monday audio message that Iran’s military action showed it was “not afraid of negotiations being cut off,” arguing that battlefield pressure and diplomacy must work together to secure Tehran’s aims.
“Neither diplomacy prevents military operations, nor do military operations prevent diplomacy,” he said. “At one point, with the threat of an attack and cutting off negotiations, you prevent Israel’s attack on Beirut. At another point, with an attack, you show that you are not afraid of negotiations being cut off and that you are fully prepared.”
“By God’s grace, the result is that they are forced to retreat over our rights and we establish our own rights,” Ghalibaf added.
“So it is not that we are supposed to either fight or negotiate,” Ghalibaf added. “Rather, we are supposed to fight when it is time, and negotiate when it is time. This is how we can defeat the enemy. This is how, when we say negotiation is the continuation of struggle, it becomes real.”
Ghalibaf also rejected claims of divisions among Iranian officials, saying: “Contrary to what some think, that there is no coordination among officials, no. There is full coordination among officials to reach the objectives.”
“The hands of our armed forces are always open for action,” he said. “Our goal is to end the war and create lasting security, not fireworks in relations with America. We also have no trust in the other side.”
He described the US naval blockade as a “war crime” and said Iran would turn it into another defeat for its enemies. “With national cohesion, diplomacy of power and military strength under the command of the Leader, we will make the enemy lose hope in the surrender of the Iranian people.”
