Iran parliament speaker says Tehran ready to 'fight and negotiate'

Parliament address

Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf told lawmakers Sunday the Islamic Republic is "neither excited nor intimidated" by US actions, stressing Tehran is prepared to "both fight and negotiate" as tensions with Washington persist. Speaking during the session, Qalibaf emphasized that Iran maintains a dual-track approach combining military readiness with diplomatic outreach.

"We are present in the military battlefield with all our strength and we will face them with new surprises, and we use the tools of diplomacy to establish our superiority in the military field and impose the rights of the Iranian people," Qalibaf said, according to Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency. He added that Washington conveyed proposals through mediators after Tehran presented a seven-day roadmap for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Strait closure terms

Qalibaf reiterated that the strategic waterway will remain closed until Tehran's seven conditions based on the Islamabad Memorandum are fulfilled. The framework deal was reached in June and includes demands for a comprehensive cessation of hostilities on all fronts, the release of frozen Iranian funds, and an end to the naval blockade of Iranian ports.

Last month, Iran formally conveyed these conditions to the US through Qatari mediators following the presentation of the seven-day roadmap. The conflict, which began on February 28, has seen Tehran maintain its position that diplomatic channels remain open only if Washington meets the stipulations outlined in the Islamabad agreement.