Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of Iran's parliament and the country's lead negotiator in indirect talks with the United States, issued a sharp warning to Washington on Monday, suggesting Tehran's patience with what he called an American "double game" is nearing its end.
Ghalibaf, who serves alongside Iran's president and foreign minister at the head of the diplomatic team engaging Washington, lashed out over what he described as continued American military buildup in the region. "The Americans keep bringing new military equipment into the area while claiming they want to stop the war," he said. "They are betting that our intelligence is as small as their IQ."
He went on to warn that Iran had reached the point of fully recognizing the pattern behind Washington's moves. "We have reached the stage of identifying these American games, and on this basis we have prepared ourselves for battle, to whatever extent necessary," Ghalibaf said.
The Iranian official pressed Washington to match its words with action. "Actions must confirm the claims, not contradict them," he said. "It is not possible to conduct talks in good faith if this situation continues."
Ghalibaf's remarks, among the sharpest yet from one of Iran's principal negotiators, come just after regional mediators floated a proposal for a comprehensive ten-day ceasefire, during which the sides would explore ways to implement the existing memorandum of understanding.
His comments track with a broader pattern of frustration voiced in recent days. Ghalibaf told allies earlier this month that Tehran was prepared to restart the war if Washington failed to honor its commitments under the memorandum, and he separately criticized the continued flow of American military assets into the Middle East as inconsistent with stated US intentions to end the conflict.
