Iran’s head negotiator in peace talks with the U.S. harshly criticized Washington on Monday for continuing to move military assets to the Middle East despite voicing a desire to end the war.
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Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who is also Iran’s parliamentary speaker, said the U.S. military’s moves in the region do not suggest that Washington is interested in peace after the collapse of the ceasefire earlier this month.
“Americans keep bringing new military equipment to the region and claim they’re after stopping the war. They’ve bet on our intelligence being as brief as their own IQ,” Mr. Ghalibaf posted on X. “We’ve reached the stage of mastery in recognizing these American games, and on that basis, we’ve prepared ourselves. Actions must confirm claims, not contradict them.”
His comments follow 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.
It’s unclear if Mr. Ghalibaf’s post referred to the movement of a specific U.S. military asset. Independent tracking by the U.S. Naval Institute reported last week that the command ship USS Mount Whitney was traveling east through the Strait of Gibraltar and that four guided-missile destroyers were positioned in the Mediterranean Sea.
Despite the recent moves, Iran has increased the intensity of its attacks on U.S. military positions in the region over the past few days. Over the weekend, Iranian attacks on Jordan and Iraq killed three American service members in the first deaths since fighting resumed this month.
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The U.S. has also expanded attacks on Iran to include strikes on critical infrastructure, such as desalination and power plants. American strikes have inflicted significant damage on Iranian radar installations, surveillance hubs and command and control centers.
U.S. Central Command, which oversees American military operations in the Middle East, has insisted that the primary purpose of the attacks is to degrade Iran’s ability to strike at ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
Diplomacy between the two countries showed little sign of picking up on Monday, even as reports indicate that Pakistani and Qatari mediators are working behind the scenes to deliver peace proposals.
Esmaeil Baqaei, spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, confirmed Monday that his country had received several proposals from mediators tied to a potential 10-day ceasefire with the U.S. However, he said that Iran’s diplomatic track is intimately connected with its self-defense and refused to reveal details.
“I reiterate that the diplomatic apparatus, in coordination with the defenders of the homeland in the armed forces, is pursuing its duties,” Mr. Baqaei said in comments carried by state-affiliated media. “The proposals put forward through mediators have been conveyed to us, and we have received them. However, I would rather not go into their details at this stage.”
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