Iran's chief negotiator says he doesn't trust US, vows to turn maritime blockade into 'another defeat' for Washington

Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf, speaker of Iran's parliament and the country's chief negotiator in ongoing end-of-war talks with the United States, said he does not trust Washington and vowed to turn the US maritime blockade of Iran into another defeat for America.

Ghalibaf made the remarks in a voice message posted to his Telegram channel on Monday, according to Iran International, a Washington-based outlet with an anti-Iranian government editorial stance. The message laid out his deep distrust of the United States and a hardline posture toward the negotiations.

On the maritime blockade, Ghalibaf said it was "a war crime and part of the enemy's conspiracy," adding that "through a comprehensive plan, we will turn the blockade into another defeat for them." He said Iran's military action against Israel showed that Tehran was "not afraid of negotiations being suspended," and said achieving Iran's goals requires both military operations and diplomacy — not a choice between the two.

"Engaging in diplomacy does not mean refraining from military operations, and conducting military operations does not mean abandoning diplomacy," he said. "When it is time to fight, we must fight. When it is time to negotiate, we must negotiate."

"Our goal is to end the war and achieve stable security, and we do not trust the other side at all," Ghalibaf said. Pushing back against suggestions of internal disarray, he said "contrary to what some believe — that there is no coordination — full coordination is in place to achieve our objectives."

Ghalibaf posted the message hours after Iran and Israel halted strikes on each other's petrochemical complexes and other targets on Monday, following an appeal by US President Donald Trump to stand down. It was the first significant exchange of fire between the two sides since a truce took effect on April 8.