TEHRAN — Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf declared Saturday that Israel and the United States suffered a “more humiliating defeat” in their recent attempt to ignite terrorist riots across Iran than during the failed 12-day aggression of 2025.

Addressing the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) personnel at the parliament, Qalibaf—who himself served as the commander of the IRGC Air Force [now Aerospace Force] for three years—lauded the rapid neutralization of a foreign-orchestrated campaign “in less than 48 hours.”

He said that Israel attempted to execute coordinated terrorist strikes across multiple cities—reminiscent of the sabotage seen in the Lebanon pager explosions—but was thwarted by the vigilance of Iranian security forces and “divine victory.”

Qalibaf described the recent unrest as “ISIS-style” terrorism, characterized by brutal crimes where defenders of the state were martyred, burned alive, or beheaded by “stateless and irreligious” proxies trained by Tel Aviv and Washington.

“We must kiss the hands of every IRGC member, Basiji [a volunteer security force as part of the IRGC], and police officer who stood firm,” Qalibaf stated, honoring those who remained “oppressed yet courageous” in the face of extremist violence.

Providing historical context, the speaker emphasized that the IRGC is fundamentally a “social institution” born from the heart of the Iranian people in 1979.

Quoting the late founder of the Islamic Republic, Imam Ruhollah Khomeini, who said, “If the IRGC did not exist, the country would not exist,”—Qalibaf argued that the force remains the primary guardian of Iran’s national identity, dignity, and independence.

He noted that the IRGC acts as a “shield for the people” during floods, earthquakes, and military threats alike.

Furthermore, Qalibaf highlighted the IRGC’s role within the Axis of Resistance, noting that martyr Qassem Soleimani sacrificed for both Shias and Sunnis without distinction, from Iraq to Palestine and Yemen.

This non-sectarian mission, he concluded, is a testament to the IRGC’s commitment to defending the oppressed against the “false polarizations” created by global arrogance. The failed riots, he asserted, represent yet another collapse of Western hybrid warfare against the Islamic Republic.