Ghalibaf Says Mistrust Remains Unresolved in Iran-US Talks

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, has said that the recent talks between Iran and the United States held in Islamabad did not resolve the mutual mistrust between the two sides although the discussions helped both parties gain a more realistic understanding of each other.

Ghalibaf who headed Iran's negotiating team during the talks revealed that the negotiations which occurred last Sunday lasted twenty one hours but came to an end without producing any results. The Speaker also said there was no direct contact between the two sides until forty eight hours before the talks started and that all communications were carried out through mediators only.

He warned that the failure of the United States to lift the naval blockade it has imposed on Iranian ports would definitely lead to restrictions on movement in the Strait of Hormuz.

There have also been conflicting announcements from Iranian officials about the current status of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's Foreign Minister wrote on the platform X that the strait was reopened to all vessels after a ceasefire in Lebanon was announced.

By contrast the spokesperson for Iran's Khatam al-Anbia Central Headquarters said the strait was closed again owing to violations of commitments by the United States and that the waterway is under the strict control of the Iranian armed forces.