TEHRAN – Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf has stressed that Tehran will not accept any agreement with Washington aimed at permanently ending the US-Israeli war unless the rights of the Iranian people are fully secured.

“We place no trust in the enemy’s words and promises. What matters to us is the attainment of tangible achievements, on the basis of which we will fulfill our commitments. Until we are assured that the rights of the Iranian people have been fully secured, we will not endorse any agreement,” Qalibaf said during a virtual parliamentary session on Sunday morning.

Mediation efforts are underway to finalize a memorandum of understanding between Tehran and Washington aimed at bringing a lasting end to the US-Israeli aggression that began on February 28.
An April 8 ceasefire paused the war, but according to Iranian officials, Washington’s “excessive” demands remain an obstacle to a final agreement.

President Donald Trump was forced to accept the truce after the US and Israel failed to achieve their objectives in the war, which mainly included destroying Iran’s military capabilities and reshaping the country’s political leadership in their favor.

Iran launched more than 100 waves of missile and drone strikes against Israel and US bases in the Persian Gulf region during the conflict. Citing US officials, American media outlets say  the damage inflicted on those bases was far greater than the figures announced by the Trump administration.

Further in his remarks, Qalibaf, who was reelected Parliament speaker with a majority of votes last week, said Iran’s talks with the United States are aimed at turning military victories into political achievements.

“What we have achieved on the battlefield with our missiles has been possible thanks to the support of the people. The job of diplomacy is to turn these victories into political and legal achievements,” he said.

Qalibaf also voiced support for the latest comments by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei, who has called for preserving national unity.

“We are pushing the enemy back in a major and historic war. As the Leader of the Islamic Revolution has also emphasized, the most important factor behind victory in this war is unity and cohesion. Alongside the military strength and defensive preparedness of the fighters of the Islamic Republic of Iran, it is the steadfastness and unity of the people in the face of a treacherous enemy that have forced the enemy into retreat. This key to victory must be preserved,” he said.

Qalibaf added that, in the new phase of the war, the enemy is trying to sow discord and undermine national cohesion through economic pressure and media warfare in an attempt to compensate for its military setbacks and force Iran into submission. Qalibaf, however, said such plants  are nothing more than “wishful thinking.”