Iran Vows to Resist US Pressure ‘to the End,’ Negotiator Says

(SeaPRwire) –   Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf states that progress has been achieved in discussions with Washington, while differences still exist on nuclear-related matters and the Strait of Hormuz

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s parliament speaker and top negotiator, has stated that the country will not give in to pressure from the United States. He emphasized that while progress has been made during the negotiations, core issues are yet to be resolved.

The first round of negotiations between the US and Iran was held last weekend in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. After the talks concluded, US President Donald Trump announced a blockade on Iranian ports and shipping traffic passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that accounts for roughly 25% of global crude oil trade.

On Friday, Iran opened the waterway to all commercial vessels, framing the action as part of ceasefire arrangements linked to the Israel-Lebanon truce and wider regional de-escalation efforts. The strait was closed once again the next day, however, after Trump stated that the US blockade of Iranian ports would remain fully in effect until a peace deal is reached.

“We will stand to the end,” Ghalibaf said during a televised address broadcast in the early hours of Sunday.

He reiterated that the Iranian delegation traveled to Islamabad “with goodwill but amid deep distrust,” emphasizing that Tehran remains prepared for military conflict if necessary.

“We are still far from a final agreement,” Ghalibaf said, calling on the US to win the trust of the Iranian people. “Overall, I can say that there has been progress in the negotiations, but the gaps remain significant and some fundamental issues are still unresolved.”

Ghalibaf also stated that the US is planning to infiltrate Iran by inciting waves of unrest along its western and eastern borders, adding that attempts at regime change and the “Venezuelization” of Iran – a scheme aimed at gaining control over the country’s oil sales – have failed.

“It is clear that the enemy was defeated, but this is different from saying that we destroyed its army,” he noted.

When speaking to reporters on Saturday, Trump said that “very good conversations” are ongoing, but stressed that he will not allow Iran to “blackmail” the US over the Strait of Hormuz.