Khalibaf's remarks exposed the internal crisis in Iran - and it seems this is just the beginning

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf criticized both camps within the Iranian establishment: those demanding continued war without an exit strategy, and those advocating unilateral surrender. Ghalibaf called for combining rational warfare with negotiations at an appropriate time, against the backdrop of the ongoing war with Israel and diplomatic contacts with the US.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf exposed the internal crisis in Iran in remarks made today. Ghalibaf attacked both camps within the Iranian establishment: the first camp demands continuing the war without a reliable way to end it and rejects diplomacy, an approach that could drag Iran into prolonged attrition and endless conflict. The second camp, he said, underestimates Iran's capabilities and promotes surrender to unilateral demands, which would lead to loss of resources and damage to national honor. Ghalibaf called for combining rational warfare with negotiations at the appropriate time, while keeping a diplomatic channel open. The remarks come against the backdrop of the ongoing war with Israel, now in its seventh month, and parallel to intermittent contacts between Washington and Tehran. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is expected to arrive this week at the UN General Assembly in New York, with the war and the possibility of resuming talks expected to be at the center of discussions.