Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said Monday that Tehran will not negotiate under pressure from President Donald Trump and warned that Iran has spent the past two weeks preparing new military options as a shaky ceasefire approached its deadline.
Ghalibaf Rejects Talks Under U.S. Pressure
In a post on X, Ghalibaf accused Trump of using a naval “siege” and alleged ceasefire violations to try to turn diplomacy into what he called a “table of surrender.” He added, “We do not accept negotiations under the shadow of threats, and in the past two weeks, we have prepared to reveal new cards on the battlefield.”
Earlier in the day, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also attacked Washington’s approach, saying U.S. officials were sending “unconstructive and contradictory signals.” In his own message, Pezeshkian wrote, “They seek Iran’s surrender,” and added, “Iranians do not submit to force.”
Pezeshkian Pushes Diplomacy While Warning U.S.
At the same time, CNN reported that Pezeshkian has recently taken a more moderate public tone than some other Iranian officials, urging an end to the war so the country can focus on reconstruction and emphasizing the need for negotiation in meetings with public-sector workers.
Trump Sends Mixed Signals Before Deadline
Ghalibaf’s comments landed as Trump sent mixed signals about the next phase of the conflict. The Associated Press reported Monday that Trump said he was in no rush to end the war, but also voiced confidence that more talks with Tehran could soon take place in Pakistan.
With the 14-day ceasefire set to expire on Wednesday, Trump swung between guarded optimism that a deal could be reached and threats that “lots of bombs” would “start going off” if no agreement was reached before the deadline. The AP said he still expected to send a negotiating team led by Vice President JD Vance to Islamabad, even as Iran insisted it would not participate unless Trump softened his demands.
Pakistani officials nonetheless moved ahead with preparations for a new round of U.S.-Iran talks, even as the truce was strained again over the weekend by renewed confrontation around the Strait of Hormuz. A senior Pakistani government source told Reuters that Islamabad remained confident Iran could still attend. But Trump also told Bloomberg News, as quoted by AP, that he was “highly unlikely” to renew the ceasefire.
Image via Shutterstock/ Joshua Sukoff
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