Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said Sunday that Tehran would continue confronting its adversaries while pursuing both military preparedness and diplomatic efforts, accusing the United States of trying to pressure Iran through contradictory messages and threats.

Addressing a parliamentary session, Qalibaf said the United States had recently conveyed proposals through mediators despite issuing different messages publicly, arguing that what he described as Washington’s strategy of buying time and imposing unilateral demands was no longer effective.

“Iran’s position is completely clear and definitive,” Qalibaf said, adding that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until what he described as all seven of Iran’s conditions under the Islamabad memorandum of understanding were fulfilled.

He accused Washington of combining economic pressure with military and security measures while repeatedly changing its public rhetoric.

Qalibaf described the approach as “cognitive warfare,” saying contradictory statements about negotiations, confrontation and mediation were intended to create uncertainty inside Iran and influence the country’s strategic calculations.

He said Iran would base its decisions on the actions of its adversaries rather than statements made by US officials.

“We base our actions on the enemy’s real behavior and actions, not on rhetoric and false dichotomies in the media,” Qalibaf said.

Qalibaf said Tehran would follow a strategy combining “power and rationality,” arguing that Iran would neither act emotionally nor be intimidated by threats.

“We will be fully present on the battlefield and confront the enemy with new surprises, while also using diplomacy to consolidate our superiority on the military battlefield and secure the rights of the Iranian nation,” he said.

The parliament speaker also argued that military preparedness strengthens a country’s position in negotiations.

“The one who is victorious at the negotiating table is the one who has prepared himself for war,” Qalibaf said.

He claimed that Iran and its allies in what he called the “Resistance Front” were at the height of their strength, while describing Iran as having maximum military capability and national cohesion.

Qalibaf further said Iran would not allow its adversaries’ plans against the country to succeed, saying Tehran’s policy would continue under the guidance of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei.

His remarks come amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington, with Iran signaling that it is prepared to combine military deterrence with diplomacy while rejecting what it regards as coercive demands. (ILKHA)