Iran’s parliament speaker dismissed the Trump administration’s escalating military and economic pressure, arguing that efforts to force Tehran back to negotiations have failed.
Qalibaf Slams Bessent, Hegseth
On Tuesday, in a post on X, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf criticized Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the U.S. campaign against Tehran.
Qalibaf said, "Americans think squeezing Iran harder will win concessions that were never part of the agreement."
"Bessent and Hegseth are way out of their league. Stop waiting for the clown crew to pull a rabbit out of their hat and clean up the mess you made," he added.
Americans think squeezing Iran harder will win concessions that were never part of the agreement.
— محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) August 18, 2026
Bessent and Hegseth are way out of their league. Stop waiting for the clown crew to pull a rabbit out of their hat and clean up the mess you made.
Hegseth Defends Iran Military Campaign
On Monday, Hegseth defended the U.S. military campaign, saying that the operation was necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, reported The Hill.
"There is a cost of doing very difficult things, to going out and defending your country and ensuring radical Islamist crazies don’t get a nuclear weapon," Hegseth said at an Iowa State Fair event.
He added, "I’m not willing to look my kids in the eye and say, ‘We had a chance to do something about it, but we didn’t.’"
Last week, Bessent separately indicated that Washington could impose sanctions on Iran that have "never been seen."
Trump-Iran Ceasefire Tensions Rise
Iranian officials rejected President Donald Trump’s claim over the Strait of Hormuz, with Mohsen Rezaee mocking Washington’s distance from the waterway and calling for a "post-American order in the Persian Gulf."
The tensions intensified after a vessel was reportedly struck by an unknown projectile in the strait, causing a crew casualty.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi accused Israel of blocking a ceasefire agreement and said Trump’s effort to force Iran into "unconditional surrender" had failed.
Meanwhile, Trump refused to extend a 60-day U.S.-Iran memorandum that expired Monday, raising fresh concerns over renewed conflict and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.
Strait Remained Blocked
Earlier this month, the Persian Gulf Strait Authority rejected Trump’s claims that the U.S. controlled the Strait of Hormuz, saying the waterway remained blocked and would not reopen until Iran’s conditions were accepted.
Trump had claimed the U.S. maintained control through a naval "wall of steel."
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Image via Shutterstock/ Maxim Elramsisy
