Iran’s parliamentary speaker and chief nuclear negotiator lashed out at the United States on Monday, mocking American claims of pursuing peace while Washington continues shipping military assets into the Middle East.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf posted the rebuke on X as diplomats from Pakistan and Qatar work behind the scenes to broker a 10-day ceasefire between Tehran and Washington.
“Americans keep bringing new military equipment to the region and claim they’re after stopping the war,” Ghalibaf wrote. “They’ve bet on our intelligence being as brief as their own IQ. We’ve reached the stage of mastery in recognizing these American games, and on that basis, we’ve prepared ourselves. Actions must confirm claims, not contradict them.”
The broadside follows the U.S. reinstatement of a naval blockade on Iranian ports last week, a move taken in response to Iranian attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz and on American military positions across the region.
The U.S. Naval Institute reported last week that the command ship USS Mount Whitney was moving east through the Strait of Gibraltar, with four guided-missile destroyers holding positions in the Mediterranean Sea. It remains unclear whether Ghalibaf’s remarks were directed at those specific movements.
Despite Tehran’s complaints about American military posture, Iranian forces have stepped up attacks on U.S. positions over the past several days. Weekend strikes on Jordan and Iraq killed three American service members, the first deaths since fighting resumed this month.
Those deaths mark a sharp escalation from the brief ceasefire that collapsed earlier in July.
U.S. Central Command said strikes against Iran have targeted radar installations, surveillance hubs and command and control centers, with the stated goal of degrading Tehran’s ability to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. American forces have also struck Iranian desalination and power plants.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei confirmed Monday that Tehran has received ceasefire proposals from mediators but declined to share details.
“I reiterate that the diplomatic apparatus, in coordination with the defenders of the homeland in the armed forces, is pursuing its duties,” Baqaei said in comments carried by state-affiliated Iranian media. “The proposals put forward through mediators have been conveyed to us, and we have received them. However, I would rather not go into their details at this stage.”
Ghalibaf, who serves simultaneously as Iran’s parliamentary speaker and its lead negotiator, has maintained a defiant public posture throughout the conflict.
