Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said on Sunday that implementing a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. is difficult but possible [1].
This statement signals a nuanced approach to Tehran's foreign policy, balancing the potential for diplomatic breakthroughs with a refusal to compromise on military strength or regional influence.
Speaking in Tehran on July 5 [2], Qalibaf said that any diplomatic efforts must be integrated with defensive readiness. He said that the primary goal of such diplomacy is to preserve the regional gains Iran has already achieved [1].
According to reports, the Speaker said that while a formal understanding with Washington remains a complex challenge, the door to such an agreement is not entirely closed [1]. However, this openness to negotiation exists alongside rigid ideological stances. Qalibaf said there is no peace between Iran and the U.S., and that Iran will not recognize Israel [3].
This duality suggests that any future negotiations would likely be transactional and focused on security guarantees rather than a broad normalization of relations. The Speaker's remarks highlight a strategy where diplomacy serves as a tool to safeguard territorial integrity and regional interests—rather than a path toward a comprehensive peace treaty.
Qalibaf said that diplomacy must maintain field achievements [1]. By linking diplomatic progress to "defensive readiness," the Iranian leadership indicates that it will not reduce its military posture as a prerequisite for talks. This approach aims to ensure that any agreement reached with the U.S. does not result in a loss of strategic leverage in the Middle East.
“Implementing the understanding with the United States is difficult, but it is possible”
Qalibaf's comments reflect the internal tension within the Iranian government between pragmatic diplomacy and revolutionary ideology. By acknowledging the possibility of a U.S. agreement while simultaneously rejecting the legitimacy of Israel and the prospect of lasting peace, Tehran is signaling that it seeks a tactical truce to relieve economic or political pressure without altering its fundamental regional strategy.
