Iran to pursue both war and diplomacy to defend people’s rights: Qalibaf

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf says the country’s strategy to put an end to the current US-Israeli aggression is to simultaneously pursue war and diplomacy to defend the rights of the Iranian nation.

In an audio message addressed to the Iranian nation released on Monday, Qalibaf said that Iran is ready to immediately resume its military operations to respond to US and Israeli violations of the ceasefire announced in early April.

His comments came after Iran carried out missile attacks on the Israeli regime in response to its violations of the terms of the ceasefire, which also include the cessation of hostilities in Lebanon.

The operation came despite ongoing efforts to mediate a deal between Iran and the US that could put a permanent end to the US-Israeli aggression on the country that began in late February.

Qalibaf, who has led Iran’s indirect negotiations with the US, said Tehran has been serious in its pursuit of diplomacy to end the aggression.

Pezeshkian: Iran won't retreat, will stand firm to defend nation against threats

The Iranian president says the country will neither retreat nor hesitate in defending its national security and peace.

However, he insisted that military response to US violations of the ceasefire in the Persian Gulf and against Israel’s attacks in Lebanon is also a firm part of Iran’s strategy to reach its objectives in the current confrontation.

“If we view diplomacy merely as closed-door negotiations and diplomatic smiles, we are doomed to fail from the very start. And if we rely solely on military operations and war, we cannot fully defend our rights,” Qalibaf said in his message.

He said the recent escalation in the confrontation with the US and the Israeli regime was due to the continued US blockade on Iran's maritime trade and Israel’s attacks on Lebanon.

“America’s naval blockade against the Iranian nation and breaching the agreement reached about Lebanon were clear violations of the ceasefire,” said the parliament speaker.

“It was natural for us to give a decisive response in defense of the rights of the Iranian nation,” Qalibaf said, praising the country’s armed forces for acting “with authority.”

Qalibaf said the situation in Lebanon was an example of how diplomacy alongside military action can push back the aggressor. “Diplomacy does not hinder military operations, nor do military operations hinder diplomacy,” he said.

He explained that the military domain serves as the “driving engine of power-building,” deterring the enemy from fantasizing about launching  an act of aggression. The diplomatic field, he added, must transform that power into tangible, legal and economic achievements.

The chief negotiator made clear that Tehran has no trust in the US as it engages in diplomacy with Washington. “Our goal is to end the war and establish lasting security, not to normalize relations with the United States,” he said.

“We have no trust in the opposite side,” he asserted.

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