Iran’s chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf/Ghalibaf says Tehran is pursuing dialogue with the United States while also stating it is prepared to respond if diplomacy does not produce results. In remarks carried by Iranian state television, he says Iran is “pursuing dialogue,” but if the agreed process is not implemented, Iran remains ready for war and will “respond accordingly.”
His comments come ahead of scheduled US and Iranian discussions connected to ongoing negotiations. The Middle East Eye report says Iranian and US delegations are expected to hold separate meetings in Doha. Qalibaf/Ghalibaf also links the current talks to the implementation of commitments in a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between Tehran and Washington, describing Iran’s focus on carrying out those commitments.
He further indicates Iran will not proceed with additional negotiations until the conditions set out in the MoU are met. While the outlets differ slightly on phrasing and spelling of his name, all report the same core message: Iran frames the Doha talks as diplomacy-first, with an explicit warning that it could shift course if commitments are not delivered.
