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Qalibaf: US equipment contradicts
Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Iran is fully prepared to confront any threat, arguing that the United States’ continued deployment of military equipment to the region contradicts Washington’s stated goal of ending the war.
In a post on X on Monday, Ghalibaf said Washington was “constantly bringing new military equipment to the region” while claiming it sought to stop the war, and he added that U.S. officials “judged our intelligence by the measure of their own limited IQ.”
Ghalibaf said Iran has “become masters at recognizing these American games, and we have prepared ourselves accordingly,” stressing that actions should support, rather than contradict, public statements.
The Washington Times reported that Iran’s chief negotiator in peace talks with the U.S. also criticized Washington for moving military assets despite voicing a desire to end the war, saying “Americans keep bringing new military equipment to the region and claim they’re after stopping the war.”
Blockade, deaths, and mediation
The Washington Times said Ghalibaf’s comments followed the reinstatement of the U.S. naval blockade of Iran’s ports last week in response to Iranian attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and on American military assets in the Middle East.
The outlet reported that over the weekend, Iranian attacks on Jordan and Iraq killed three American service members in the first deaths since fighting resumed this month, and it said the U.S. expanded attacks on Iran to include strikes on critical infrastructure such as desalination and power plants.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei confirmed Monday that Iran had received several proposals from mediators tied to a potential 10-day ceasefire with the U.S., while saying “I would rather not go into their details at this stage.”
The investingLive report said a U.S. official warned that the Pentagon was increasing the number of military aircraft in the region and cautioned that “dwindling air defence and long range munitions stockpiles could limit any expansion.”
Escalation risks beyond talks
As U.S.-Iran tensions intensified, the Washington Times said diplomacy showed little sign of picking up on Monday even as reports indicated that Pakistani and Qatari mediators were working behind the scenes to deliver peace proposals.
“What you need to know: DW Persian News Desk is a news digest of daily topics and developments in Iran, the region, Germany, and the world across political, social, economic, cultural, sports, and other fields”
The investingLive report framed the military buildup as positioning for a longer campaign, saying the Pentagon was increasing the number of military aircraft in the region and that “That build-up, paired with warnings that air defence and long range munitions stockpiles are running low” raised the risk of wider conflict.
In Israel, the Jerusalem Post reported that the U.S. sent additional refuelers to the Middle East, saying “Dozens of American refueling aircraft will be deployed across IDF bases and the Ramon Airport in southern Israel.”
The CTech report added that Israel’s Transportation Minister Miri Regev instructed the Israel Airports Authority to prevent additional U.S. refueling aircraft from parking at Ben Gurion Airport, and it said the sides reached an agreement that by Tuesday, July 21, only 20 refueling aircraft would remain at the airport, in line with the original understanding.
The DW Persian News Desk reported that Air France suspended flights to Riyadh until July 25 and to Dubai until July 28, and it said the airline extended the suspension of flights to Beirut, Lebanon until August 2, citing the deteriorating security situation caused by the escalation of the war with Iran.
