Iranian Parliament Speaker Claims "Victory in War with U.S."... Hardliners Push Back

Iranian Hardliners: "Frozen Funds Language Remains Unclear"

Associated Press Yonhap News

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament who is leading Iran's negotiating team in the ceasefire talks with the United States, claimed victory in the war with the U.S. and emphasized that negotiation is also a form of struggle. His remarks are seen as a response to domestic hardliners' opposition. Hardline factions within Iran have objected to the agreement, arguing that Iran has gained little and, in particular, criticizing the lack of transparency regarding the payment methods for frozen funds by the United States.

On the 17th (local time), in an interview with state-run Press TV, Speaker Ghalibaf said, "We achieved victory in the war against the United States and Israel. The recent conflict was a war between truth and falsehood," adding, "Iran prevented the U.S. and Israel from achieving the goals they set at the beginning of the war." He went on to say, "The flag of this victory is the foundation of our negotiations," and asserted, "When I talk about negotiation and diplomacy, I mean diplomacy based on strength—negotiation itself is a form of struggle."

His remarks are interpreted as being mindful of the backlash from Iranian hardliners following the public release of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran. Speaker Ghalibaf stressed, "I am the person who trusts the United States the least," and added, "I directly told U.S. Vice President JD Vance that I do not trust you at all." He also emphasized, "Even if the agreement is finalized and approved as a United Nations Security Council resolution, we still cannot trust them at all."

He warned, "If Iran's enemies do not understand the language of logic, we are prepared to respond," and added, "Iran's finger is still on the trigger." Speaker Ghalibaf further stated that "if necessary, Iran will once again use the language of force," not ruling out the possibility of taking military action.

Nevertheless, hardliners within Iran are strongly objecting, claiming that Ghalibaf and other members of the negotiating team have surrendered to the United States. The hardline Iranian media outlet Raja News pointed out, "The agreement with the United States revealed on the 17th still leaves the issue of Iran's frozen funds uncertain, and the negotiating team's claim that half of the funds would be released immediately was not reflected in the agreement." It added, "Iran's access to the frozen funds is subject to additional negotiations with the United States, and there is no clear definition of how or whether those funds will be provided to Iran."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.