Ghalibaf: No Peace with America and We Will Never Recognize Israel

Standing on Principles in the Shadow of New Developments

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly and Iran's senior negotiator, described the Islamic Republic's explicit positions regarding recent international developments on Sunday, July 5, 2026, during a meeting with Mohammad Darwish, Chairman of the Hamas Leadership Council. Pointing out that the cause of liberating Jerusalem remains the first priority, he stated: "We have no peace with America and we will never recognize the Zionist regime" [1]. These remarks come as the region is in a sensitive condition following recent conflicts and in the midst of ceremonies commemorating the late leader of the revolution.

Temporary Memorandum of Understanding and Conditional Diplomacy

In his remarks, Ghalibaf referred to the recent Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Tehran and Washington, which was signed with the aim of reducing tensions and establishing a temporary 60-day ceasefire. He emphasized that diplomacy must serve to stabilize the field achievements of the fighters and warned that if the United States or the Zionist regime do not adhere to their commitments within this framework, Iran will resume its proportional and decisive actions [2]. He stated that the implementation of this memorandum is difficult but achievable, provided that the rights and territorial integrity of Iran's allies in the resistance front are fully considered [3].

Message to the Resistance Front and Regional Warnings

In another part of his speech, the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament considered support for resistance groups a religious and political duty, noting that Iran will support its allies with missile power if necessary and with political pressure if required [1]. He also pointed to the recent failures of the Zionist regime in achieving its military goals and claimed that Washington has now realized it does not have the capability for a military confrontation with Iran [4].

Challenges Ahead in the Path of Negotiations

Despite the existence of the temporary memorandum, Ghalibaf emphasized that deep gaps still remain. Criticizing the dual policies of the West, he called the "good cop and bad cop" game old and ineffective [5]. International observers believe these words by Ghalibaf are a clear message to the negotiating parties that any technical or temporary agreement will not mean Iran's departure from its fundamental foreign policy principles regarding America and Israel.