Ghalibaf: Iranian Defensive Progress and American Retreat Led to Ceasefire

SadaNews - Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf confirmed that his country has made significant advancements in air defense capabilities between the 12-day war last year and the recent escalation, considering that the United States requested a ceasefire after Iran's military superiority.

He added that Donald Trump failed to achieve his goals of regime change or destroying Iran's missile capabilities.

Ghalibaf indicated that Tehran has thwarted attempts to introduce separatist elements across its borders, emphasizing that the acceptance of the ceasefire was temporary and aimed at extracting Iranian demands.

He also stressed that his country does not trust the United States, warning that any new escalation would be met with a military response, given the readiness of the armed forces.

Regarding negotiations, he clarified that there are ongoing disagreements with Washington concerning the nuclear file and the Strait of Hormuz, despite some indications of a more realistic mutual understanding between the two sides.

He affirmed the necessity for Iran to obtain guarantees that would prevent any future attacks from the United States or Israel, noting progress in some files while disagreements persist in others.

Ghalibaf stated that Tehran follows a "step-for-step" principle in negotiations, where each party commits to its obligations reciprocally, urging Washington to abandon unilateral conditional policies if it is serious about reaching an agreement.

For his part, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Said Khatibzadeh announced that new instructions would be issued concerning the Strait of Hormuz as part of the negotiation process, affirming his country's rejection of sending any enriched materials to the United States.

This comes amid a military escalation, as Iranian armed forces announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz once again in response to what they described as the continuing American naval blockade, while Tehran accuses Washington of failing to uphold its previous commitments.