Iran open to diplomacy but national security, defense power non-negotiable: Parliament speaker

Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf says while Iran is open to diplomacy, it will never compromise on its national security and defense power.

He made the remarks in an address to the Meeting of the Standing Committee on Political Affairs of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA) in the holy city of Mashhad on Thursday.

Qalibaf emphasized that genuine diplomacy can only be meaningful when grounded in mutual respect and shared interests, not in coercion or threats.

"I state explicitly that the Islamic Republic of Iran will under no circumstances place its national security, defensive capability, and legitimate right to progress on the negotiating table,” he added.

The top legislator also noted that the Iranian nation has been subject to “one of the most severe and systematically orchestrated hostile campaigns” in modern history, including through inhumane sanctions, efforts to obstruct peaceful scientific and nuclear advancement, and, ultimately, the cowardly Israeli-US aggression earlier this year.

The illegal assault took place in the very midst of diplomatic talks, but certain European governments chose to stand alongside the aggressor regimes instead of condemning them, Qalibaf said.

On the contrary, 120 nations of the world rejected the Israeli-US aggression and stood in solidarity with the Iranian nation, he added. 

Qalibaf further said, "The conduct of Western governments has unequivocally demonstrated that, for them, negotiations are not a genuine instrument of dialogue and conflict resolution, but rather a tool of deception, delay, and coercion."

Iran must grow stronger to defend itself in ‘jungle’ created by US: FM

Iran’s foreign minister censures the US for initiating an arms race across the world by its naked use of force, saying there is no choice but to grow strong in the “jungle” created by Washington.

Additionally, in his remarks, Qalibaf condemned Israel’s “systematic genocide" in the Gaza Strip, which has killed over 70,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children.

He also denounced the Israeli acts of aggression against Iran, Lebanon, Qatar, and Syria, saying the attacks constitute a direct threat to regional peace.

He further said Iran welcomes any initiative that ends the Israeli occupation and alleviates the Palestinians’ suffering, while categorically rejecting any attempt to impose any unjust peace upon the oppressed nation.

"Any agreement that fails to secure justice for Palestinians is nothing more than the continuation of [Israeli] occupation under a deceptive guise and the consolidation of the Zionist apartheid across the entirety of historic Palestine,” he pointed out.

“Such a deal lacks political, legal, and moral legitimacy and is destined to fail—just as previous imposed accords, such as Camp David and Oslo, reached a dead end due to their disregard for the will of the Palestinian nation."

Meanwhile, the Parliament speaker stressed that regional peace and stability, as well as the future of the world, will not be determined in Washington, Tel Aviv, or certain European capitals, but in Asia, among the continent’s civilization‑building nations.

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