Iran Parliament Chief: Talks with US Aim at Peace, Not Normalization

(MENAFN) Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf declared Monday that ongoing negotiations with the United States are directed at ending the war and securing lasting regional stability — not at normalizing ties between Tehran and Washington.

In an audio message posted across his official social media accounts, Qalibaf attributed recent tensions to ceasefire violations and what he characterized as a maritime blockade imposed on Iran.

"The military field, diplomacy, public participation and service to the people are all parts of a single integrated framework," he said.

The parliament speaker argued that diplomacy and military operations are not mutually exclusive — insisting both instruments must remain available and deployed in tandem when circumstances demand.

"The goal of negotiations is ending the war and creating lasting security, not normalizing relations with the United States," he said.

Qalibaf pushed back against the notion that diplomacy is confined to closed-door meetings and ceremonial gestures, asserting that Iran must instead pursue what he described as "a carefully engineered victory based on strength and rationality."

He pointed to developments in Lebanon as a working model of the dual-track approach, arguing that some threats had been neutralized through diplomatic pressure while others required military responses — demonstrating, in his view, that both tools can function in concert.

He also credited successes on both fronts with enabling Iran to extend support to Lebanon and push back against what he termed the "maritime blockade."

"The choice is not between war and negotiations; each should be used when appropriate," he said.

Turning to Washington, Qalibaf delivered a sharp rebuke of recent statements by US President Donald Trump regarding a memorandum of understanding, contending that Trump's remarks contradicted previously agreed terms and revealed that the US was "neither seeking a ceasefire nor dialogue."

He further affirmed that Iran's armed forces retain full freedom of action, and issued a call for national unity, public resilience, and vigilance against what he described as narratives serving the interests of adversaries.

Qalibaf's address came amid a rapidly deteriorating security environment. Tensions flared Sunday when Israel struck the Lebanese capital Beirut in defiance of an active ceasefire, drawing a retaliatory Iranian missile barrage toward northern Israel. Israel responded with successive waves of airstrikes against Iran, as Tehran answered with additional missile launches.

Iran's military announced early Monday it was suspending its strikes on Israel, while issuing a stark warning of a "crushing" response should Israeli attacks on Lebanon continue. Israeli media, citing unnamed officials, separately reported that Israel had agreed to pause its airstrikes on Iran — though military operations in southern Lebanon would press on.

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