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Ghalibaf’s victory claim
Iran’s Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday that Tehran emerged victorious over both the United States and Israel, claiming the two countries failed to achieve any of the nine objectives they set at the start of the war with Iran.
“I say with my whole heart that in this war, both in its military dimension and in its political dimension, we were victorious in the true sense of the word”
Ghalibaf said, “I say with my whole heart that in this war, both in its military dimension and in its political dimension, we were victorious in the true sense of the word,” while also clarifying that his claim did not mean Iran physically destroyed the American or Israeli militaries.
He said the US and Israel attacked Iran with “nine specific and clear objectives,” but “they failed to achieve any of those objectives at any level,” framing the outcome as “the greatest and absolute defeat for the United States and the Zionist regime.”
The remarks came as the 60-day US-Iran ceasefire was coming to an end, with Donald Trump warning that Washington would impose unprecedented economic restrictions on Iran.
In the same narrative, Ghalibaf described the June 17 memorandum of understanding as “a document of honour that consolidates Iran’s victory politically and diplomatically,” and said earlier he had described negotiations with the US as “diplomacy of power.”
Trump, Hormuz, and Tehran
In Israel, Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf declared Tehran had secured a dual military and political triumph, asserting that the US and Israel were unsuccessful in accomplishing their goals.
Ghalibaf told reporters, “I say with complete conviction that we won this war, both militarily and politically,” and added, “The United States and Israel attacked us with nine specific objectives, but they failed to achieve any of them.”
The comments followed statements by President Donald Trump during a Friday rally on Long Island, where he said, “After we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly defeated, pretty soon, I will be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States.”
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi responded by insisting Tehran holds exclusive command over transit through the Strait of Hormuz, saying, “This strait will only be closed and opened under Iran's command.”
Gharibabadi also said the naval blockade enforced by Iran will persist until Washington acknowledges its “strategic defeat,” while Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security Commission, mocked Trump’s security precaution by writing, “before he ends up hiding in a food truck.”
Bargaining, blockade, and risks
As the 60-day MoU neared expiry with negotiations stalled, Iran’s leadership used the period after the June memorandum of understanding to prepare for a broader conflict rather than de-escalate, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday citing Iranian and Arab officials.
“Brent crude edged 0.1% lower to $88.48 a barrel”
Iran’s Vice President Mohammad Jafar Ghaempanah acknowledged that selling sanctioned Iranian oil relies on middlemen and opaque networks, and said the process creates opportunities for fraud and allows powerful interests to profit from sanctions.
In the same reporting, Brent crude edged 0.1% lower to $88.48 a barrel amid continued uncertainty over the conflict and the future of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, while President Donald Trump told Americans to prepare for continued high fuel prices as a result of the war.
Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf also tied the diplomatic framing to military outcomes, saying the memorandum of understanding signed in June is “a document of pride and victory” that consolidates Tehran’s achievements in the diplomatic arena.
Separately, Iran’s Army Chief General Amir Hatami described the Strait of Hormuz as a “God-given geopolitical asset” and vowed that Tehran will ensure the United States is no longer permitted to enter the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf, and the Sea of Oman.
