Iran to pursue 'war and diplomacy' simultaneously: Ghalibaf
Satellite imagery has revealed that Iran’s latest strike on Israel, carried out in defense of Lebanon, damaged a key Israeli air base
Iranian Parliament Speaker and top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said in comments released on 9 June that Tehran will “simultaneously pursue war and diplomacy” as a strategy to defend itself.
The comments were made in an audio message to the people of Iran and released by Iranian media.
“Iran’s strategy is to simultaneously pursue war and diplomacy to defend the rights of the Iranian nation,” Ghalibaf was quoted as saying.
“If we view diplomacy merely as closed-door negotiations and diplomatic smiles, we are doomed to fail from the very start. And if we rely solely on military operations and war, we cannot fully defend our rights,” he added.
The parliament speaker also slammed Washington’s illegal blockade of Iranian ports and its continuous violations of the so-called ceasefire announced in April.
Additionally, he condemned the brutal US-backed Israeli campaign against Lebanon.
“It was natural for us to give a decisive response in defense of the rights of the Iranian nation,” he went on to say, while hailing Iran’s forces for acting “with authority.”
He added that “diplomacy does not hinder military operations, nor do military operations hinder diplomacy.”
Ghalibaf stressed that Tehran’s ultimate goal is an end to the war and long-term security, but not complete “normalization” with Washington, in which Iran has “no trust.”
Iran has continued to double down on its terms since the announcement of the April truce – which Washington has repeatedly violated through airstrikes and siege.
The Strait of Hormuz remains closed to Washington and Tel Aviv, and Iran is working with Oman to establish a post-war mechanism to manage the strategic waterway – while disregarding US threats on the matter.
This week, the Ansarallah-led Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) announced the closure of the Bab al-Mandab Strait to Israeli shipping.
Tehran also wants full sanctions removal, unfreezing of blocked assets, and a scale-back of the US military presence in the region – particularly in the Gulf countries neighboring it.
Another main Iranian term is a full ceasefire in Lebanon, where Hezbollah is resisting an invasion, occupation, and a campaign of brutal airstrikes.
Tehran has repeatedly warned Israel in recent days that strikes on the Lebanese capital, Beirut, will be met with retaliation. The Israeli army bombed Beirut’s southern suburb on Sunday, targeting two apartments in the Mreijeh area.
In response, Iranian forces fired over a dozen missiles at Israel, prompting it to launch heavy attacks on the Islamic Republic on Monday morning.
Iran responded with more missile attacks targeting Israeli military sites.
The Iranian military said on Monday afternoon that it has stopped operations, but warned that further violations, including in south Lebanon, will be met with “much more severe and crushing measures.
New satellite imagery released by Hebrew outlet Ynet showed a precise hit on a hangar inside the Ramat David Air Base by an Iranian missile two days ago, after Iran’s latest strikes.
The air base is among those used to attack Lebanon.