WANA (Jul 05) – Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of Iran’s Parliament, said diplomacy should serve to preserve and consolidate gains achieved on the battlefield, during a meeting with Mohammad Darwish, head of Hamas’ Leadership Council. Darwish, in turn, described the Iran-U.S. understanding as “a victory for Iran and a defeat for the United States,” saying Tehran had also shifted the regional balance in favor of what he called the Islamic nation through diplomacy.

 

The meeting took place on Sunday, July 5, on the sidelines of a ceremony marking the farewell to the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution.

 

Speaking during the meeting, Ghalibaf said diplomacy and negotiations should be capable of resolving military confrontations while safeguarding the achievements made by resistance fighters. He added that such an outcome is only possible if the country maintains strong defense capabilities alongside diplomatic efforts.

 

Referring to negotiations with the United States, Ghalibaf said the talks were suspended following an Israeli strike on Beirut’s Dahiyeh district. He stated that Iran insisted the agreement include provisions guaranteeing the territorial integrity of regional countries and an end to military operations against Iran’s regional allies within the Axis of Resistance. According to Ghalibaf, these provisions were incorporated into the agreement, which is now being implemented, although he acknowledged that its implementation would be challenging.

 

Ghalibaf reiterated that Iran has no peace agreement with the United States and does not recognize Israel. He said Tehran would continue supporting Muslim nations and the Axis of Resistance in line with the guidance of Iran’s Supreme Leader, adding that such support could take military or political forms depending on circumstances.

 

He also emphasized the importance of the policies adopted by Muslim governments, saying many had come to realize that cooperation with the United States and Israel would not bring them lasting security.

 

In another part of his remarks, Ghalibaf called for continued readiness for both struggle and sacrifice, saying that, from his perspective, either martyrdom or defeating the enemy represents a meaningful achievement.

 

Darwish said Hamas views its struggle as one in which “there is either victory or martyrdom,” adding that there is no concept of defeat. He described the October 7 “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation as the greatest setback Israel has faced since its establishment, saying it had also undermined the regional standing of both Israel and the United States.

 

He further said that neither the United States nor Israel had succeeded in defeating the resistance, and that their objective of overthrowing the Islamic Republic during the recent conflict had also failed.

 

Darwish described the understanding reached between Iran and the United States as “a major victory for the Axis of Resistance,” saying every clause of the agreement represented a gain for Iran and a setback for Washington. He particularly welcomed the inclusion of provisions concerning Iran’s regional allies, saying this demonstrated that Iran had also succeeded in shifting the diplomatic balance in favor of the Islamic nation.

 

He concluded by expressing hope that, through the collective efforts of Muslim countries, the war and military operations in the occupied territories would come to an end.