The Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has characterized the current ceasefire with the US as a victory for Tehran, arguing that Washington and Israel failed to achieve their primary strategic goals.
Speaking on Iranian state media, Ghalibaf asserted that the US failed to topple the Iranian government or form an effective international coalition to control the Strait of Hormuz. “When the enemy cannot achieve its goals, it means it has suffered a defeat,” Ghalibaf said, as reported by The New York Times. While acknowledging that the US and its allies maintain financial and military superiority, he insisted that Washington had failed in a “political and strategic sense.”
These remarks come at a major crossroads in diplomatic efforts. US President Donald Trump recently expressed cautious optimism that a final agreement to end the conflict could be reached by Wednesday, April 22. The proposed deal involves the US unfreezing $20 billion in Iranian assets in exchange for Tehran’s enriched uranium being transferred to the United States.
However, significant contradictions persist between the two nations. While Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that a deal is “very close” and that both nations would cooperate on the removal of nuclear material, Iran’s Foreign Ministry recently stated that its stockpile would not be transferred “anywhere.” Additionally, the sides remain divided over the duration of a uranium enrichment moratorium, with Washington pushing for a 20-year term while Tehran seeks five years.
Trump has warned that if negotiations in Islamabad do not result in a final agreement by the April 22 deadline, he may not extend the temporary ceasefire. “Maybe I won’t extend it... and unfortunately we have to start dropping bombs again,” the President stated. As the deadline approaches, Ghalibaf’s rhetoric suggests that Tehran is intent on framing the cessation of hostilities as a position of strength rather than a concession.