Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, delivered a stark warning to former US President Donald Trump, asserting that while he “may be able to ignite a war, he does not control how it ends.” Speaking in an interview with CNN, Ghalibaf stressed that Tehran remains open to negotiations “only if they are real, not imposed by force.”
Ghalibaf accused Washington of undermining diplomacy, highlighting that the US “bombed the negotiating table two days before the sixth round of talks with Iran.” He emphasized that Iran would not enter talks without tangible benefits, saying, “As long as the economic interests of the Iranian people are not guaranteed, there will be no negotiations,” and adding, “We do not consider dictation to be negotiation.”
The Iranian official warned that discussions conducted under military pressure would escalate tensions rather than resolve them, stating, “Negotiations in the shadow of war fuel tensions.” He further challenged Trump’s pursuit of a Nobel Peace Prize, urging him to “distance himself from the warmongers and the advocates of surrender around him.”
The remarks come after Trump’s announcement of a “massive armada” moving toward Iran and his call for Tehran to “come to the table” for talks. Iran has responded with repeated warnings of swift and comprehensive retaliation in the event of an attack, while reaffirming its willingness to engage only in fair, noncoercive negotiations.
