Parliament speaker warns against polarization of debate on negotiating with adversaries

Tehran, IRNA – Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf says the public debate over whether or not to negotiate with Iran’s adversaries should not take on rigid opposites.

Speaking to a gathering of commanders and staff from the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Chiefs of Staff on Saturday, Qalibaf seemed to address in particular a group of people who are sometimes referred to as “the revolutionary front” in Iran.

“The Supreme Leader of the Revolution yesterday adopted a transparent and clear position about… negotiating, and the president and cabinet members should definitely advance matters in accordance with the statement of the Leader of the Revolution,” Qalibaf said.

“In this atmosphere, we should not create two opposite poles and turn people into supporters and opponents of negotiating,” he added.

On Friday, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said negotiating with the United States government was “unwise” and “not honorable.” Ayatollah Khamenei referred to Iran’s past experience in negotiating a comprehensive deal with six world countries — including the United States — in 2015 and said the U.S. administration that negotiated the deal failed to uphold its obligations, and the one that came after it withdrew from the agreement altogether.

“The Americans did not comply with that very agreement. The very same person who is now in office [in the United States] tore up the agreement,” he said, referring to U.S. President Donald Trump, who pulled the United States from the Iran deal negotiated by his predecessor, Barack Obama.

Trump also launched a campaign of what he called “maximum pressure” on Iran as he withdrew from the deal back in 2018. Two years later, he ordered the U.S. military to assassinate IRGC commander Major General Qassem Soleimani.

Last week, days after he took office for a non-consecutive second term, Trump signed a presidential memorandum to resume “maximum pressure” on the Islamic Republic. The U.S. president has also spoken of his keenness to hold talks and reach a new deal with Iran. His return to the presidency and subsequent remarks and actions have sparked a debate inside Iran over whether Tehran should engage with Washington anew.

“Trump is Martyr Soleimani’s murderer,” Qalibaf said in his Saturday remarks. “And the Leader… saying that negotiating with America is not honorable… it is in fact so.”

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