Iran’s Parliament Speaker Says Tehran Will Not Compromise in Talks with U.S.

The Nation

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf told Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir during talks in Tehran on Saturday that the United States was “not an honest party” in negotiations aimed at ending the conflict, and stressed that Iran would not compromise on its national rights, according to Iranian state television.

The discussions took place amid a regional mediation initiative led by Pakistan, which is seeking to reduce tensions between Iran and the United States following weeks of conflict that have disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz despite a fragile ceasefire, causing turbulence in global energy markets.

Iranian state media also reported that Munir met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in the presence of Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, with whom he reportedly held two separate meetings before departing the country.

According to the reports, the talks focused on a 14-point document proposed by Iran, which Tehran considers the principal framework for ongoing discussions, as well as messages exchanged between the two sides.

Qalibaf said Iran would pursue its "legitimate rights", both on the battlefield ‌and ⁠through diplomacy, but added that it could not trust "a party that has no honesty at all", an allegation Iran has made several times before.

He said Iran's armed forces had rebuilt their capabilities during the ceasefire and that, if the United States "foolishly restarts ⁠the war", the consequences would be "more forceful and bitter" than at the start of the conflict.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday that Washington had seen “some progress” towards reaching an agreement with Iran, but stressed that further work remained necessary.

At the same time, Iran’s Foreign Ministry stated that differences between the two sides remained “deep and significant”, underscoring the continuing challenges facing the negotiations.

Source: Reuters



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