Iran's Parliament Speaker spoke in favor of continuing peace talks to halt the conflict, rejecting pressure from extremists who wanted him to scrap a preliminary agreement and retaliate for the assassination of the former supreme leader.
"Negotiation is not tantamount to compromise," Ghalibaf declared, and when combined with military power, it forms "part of the strategy of resistance and the safeguarding of national interests." He made the remarks during a state television interview late Wednesday.
These remarks appeared directed at hardliners who have accused the more moderate officials, including Ghalibaf and Araghchi, of betraying the nation by agreeing to the June truce. Those critics view the truce as a ruse to give the US time to restart a conflict that Iran was supposedly winning.
Ghalibaf refrained from naming any individuals, pointing instead to "questions being asked among the people and various groups" and calling for national unity.
His speech highlights the growing divide between Iranian hawks and pragmatists. The pragmatists aim to focus on economic revival and view diplomatic channels as a way to reach that goal.
The fracture deepened during the funeral of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, an event that overlapped with the resumption of hostilities between the US and Iran.
Get the market news that matters in a five-minute read with Market Briefs, our free daily newsletter
The heavily attended ceremony, designed to demonstrate the Islamic Republic's strength, generated numerous demands for retribution - including from the late leader's son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei. He has not made any public appearances since his appointment.
At the funeral, hardline figure Saeed Jalili pressed authorities to place vengeance for the assassins above discussions about economic matters, such as freeing Iran's frozen assets.
"If you say that we must liberate Iran's assets, well the great asset of our nation was its beloved leadership," he said. "Today, this nation has a right to defend this position and great capital with revenge. Revenge is the country's right and the duty of those in charge."
This division was also evident in the country's newspaper front pages this week.
On Wednesday, the government-affiliated daily Iran featured remarks from Mostafa Khamenei, the eldest son of the former leader, who said "patience is in no way incompatible with taking revenge."
The conservative Kayhan paper, closely linked to the supreme leader's office, urged negotiators to formally abandon the "dead memorandum of understanding" and instead focus on building self-reliance and enhancing military capabilities across economic, defense, and nuclear areas.
Nevertheless, the scale and intensity of strikes were still much lower compared to the conflict's peak.
President Trump warned that he would order additional airstrikes unless Iran allowed the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for oil and LNG shipments, and Iran countered by promising broader military action throughout the region. Trump added that negotiations are ongoing and asserted that Iran is seeking a meeting.
During the same TV appearance, Ghalibaf did not explicitly state Iran would walk away from the agreement, but cautioned that "if Iran is not to benefit from the memorandum of understanding, we have no reason to adhere to such an agreement."
The standoff over the Strait of Hormuz has significant global implications: roughly a fifth of the world's oil passes through that chokepoint, and the closure has already driven up energy prices and disrupted supply chains. Iran's economy, already battered by sanctions, faces further strain as the blockade cuts off its own oil exports, while the US military buildup in the region raises the risk of a wider war. These factors underscore why pragmatists like Ghalibaf see a diplomatic off-ramp as essential - even as hardliners demand retribution for the slain supreme leader.
Join Market Briefs, our free daily newsletter, for a quick daily rundown of the markets
