TEHRAN – Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf has reiterated that Tehran does not reject dialogue or diplomacy in principle, stressing that any negotiations must be genuine, balanced, and grounded in mutual respect, clear guarantees, and the protection of Iran’s national interests.

In an interview with CNN published on Thursday, Qalibaf underlined that diplomacy conducted “under the shadow of war” only deepens instability and insecurity. He said Iran remains ready for sincere talks conducted within the framework of international law, but warned that coercion and intimidation have never produced sustainable outcomes.

Qalibaf noted that U.S. President Donald Trump has consistently demonstrated an approach based on pressure rather than diplomacy. He said Trump “has so far shown that he seeks to impose his political views through the threat of war,” a strategy that undermines trust and fuels regional tensions instead of resolving them.

The Iranian parliament speaker also pointed to Washington’s military aggression against Iran in June 2025, noting that it occurred just two days before the sixth round of indirect talks between Tehran and Washington. The timing, he said, revealed a clear contradiction between claims of diplomacy and actions on the ground.

“As long as there are no guarantees for the rights of the Iranian nation, as long as the economic interests of our people are not secured, and as long as Iran’s dignity is not respected, there can be no talk of negotiations,” Qalibaf said. “We do not consider dictation, imposition, or surrender to be negotiation.”

He added that if Trump genuinely seeks “real peace” and believes he deserves recognition such as the Nobel Peace Prize, he must first abandon threats and take concrete steps toward justice and respect for international norms. These remarks come as Trump has escalated hostile rhetoric and threatened new military action, while the United States has deployed the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and its strike group to West Asia near Iran.

Elsewhere in the interview, Qalibaf said Iran will pursue justice for the victims of recent terrorist riots through domestic courts as well as international legal mechanisms. “These crimes must be documented, and their perpetrators must be held accountable,” he said, calling the loss of more than 2,500 lives a “bitter tragedy” and an “absolute duty” to pursue accountability.

Describing the Iranian nation as a victim of terrorism, Qalibaf said the violence was the result of foreign-orchestrated plots, adding that the killing of nearly 300 police officers in just two days reflected an organized, Daesh-like campaign aimed at engineering a “quasi-coup” through terror.