Iran Pursues Diplomatic Efforts, Maintains Full Combat Readiness

(MENAFN) Iran's parliament speaker signaled Saturday that Tehran is simultaneously engaged in active diplomacy and maintaining full combat readiness, as officials hardened their stance against what they characterized as adversarial deception.

Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, addressing the nation in a televised speech, said the most recent round of hostilities erupted while diplomatic talks were already underway — a process he accused Washington of sabotaging. According to a news agency, Qalibaf charged the United States with undermining those efforts through "deception."

While conceding that Iran does not match American military might on paper, Qalibaf argued that battlefield results tell a different story. Tehran, he insisted, judges its performance not by the size of its arsenal but by the outcomes it has achieved.

The parliament speaker declared that Iran had scored victories both "on the ground and in diplomacy," yet cautioned that the situation remains volatile and could deteriorate without warning. He stressed that negotiations are proceeding in parallel with what he called total preparedness to act if necessary.

Qalibaf further underscored Iran's deep skepticism toward its opponents, stating that any path to sustainable peace must include firm guarantees — measures designed to break what he portrayed as a damaging cycle of conflict, temporary ceasefires, and renewed fighting.

Tehran, he made clear, seeks not a pause in hostilities but a permanent resolution, though only one backed by concrete and verifiable assurances.

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