Iran's parliament speaker said Monday that Tehran does not trust the United States and accused Washington of undermining diplomatic efforts even as indirect negotiations between the two countries continue amid renewed regional tensions.
Speaking in a series of public remarks carried by Iranian and regional media outlets, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Iran's objective was to end the current conflict and establish "lasting security," not to normalize relations with Washington.
"Our approach is not either war or negotiations," Ghalibaf said, according to Iran's WANA News Agency. "The approach is to fight when necessary and negotiate when necessary."
Ghalibaf accused the United States of violating prior understandings and said Washington was "neither genuinely pursuing a ceasefire nor committed to meaningful dialogue." He also described the U.S. naval blockade imposed on Iran as a "war crime" and said Tehran would turn it into "another strategic failure" for its opponents.
His comments come as fighting and diplomatic contacts continued simultaneously across the region. Over recent days, Iran, Israel and U.S. forces have exchanged missile and drone strikes tied to escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and Lebanon. Iranian and Israeli forces also traded fresh strikes overnight.
According to Afghanistan's 8AM Media, Ghalibaf said Tehran had no trust in Washington and argued the United States was seeking neither a ceasefire nor serious negotiations. He added that Iran's armed forces remained prepared for further action while talks continued through mediation efforts led by Pakistan.
The remarks came one day after President Donald Trump said negotiations with Iran remained active and that a possible agreement could emerge "in the next two or three days," according to Anadolu Agency. Trump also said the U.S. blockade on Iran would remain in place until a broader deal was reached.
Ghalibaf went on to reject suggestions of internal divisions within Iran's leadership, saying there was "full coordination" among officials and the military. He outlined what he described as four connected arenas of struggle: military operations, diplomacy, public resistance and state services.
"The goal is to end the war and create sustainable security," Ghalibaf said. "It is not the normalization of relations with the United States."
The Iranian parliament speaker added that recent military operations demonstrated that Tehran was "not afraid of negotiations being cut off," arguing that battlefield pressure and diplomacy should work together to secure Iran's objectives.
