WANA (Aug 18) – Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf has criticized the U.S. approach toward Iran, saying Washington cannot secure concessions from Tehran by simply increasing pressure—especially concessions that were never part of the understanding between the two sides.

 

In a post in English on his personal account on X, Ghalibaf addressed U.S. officials, saying they appear to believe that putting greater pressure on Iran will force Tehran to grant concessions that were never included in the text of the understanding.

 

Referring to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Ghalibaf said the two officials are not up to the task.

 

He added, in a sharply worded message, that U.S. officials should not expect this “team of clowns” to perform a miracle or suddenly pull a rabbit out of a hat like magicians and rescue Washington from a crisis that, in his view, it created itself.

 

Rezaei: Welcome to a Post-American Order in the Persian Gulf

Meanwhile, Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said that a “post-American order” is emerging in the Persian Gulf, while commenting on developments surrounding the Strait of Hormuz.

 

In a post on his personal X account, Rezaei wrote that “the gap between America’s inability to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and its claim to own it is greater than the 7,000-mile distance between Washington and the strait itself.”

 

He concluded his message by saying: “Welcome to a post-American order in the Persian Gulf.”