WANA (Jun 17) – Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s special envoy for China affairs and Parliament Speaker, announced on Wednesday, June 17, that the country must hand over the trenches from the forces at the missile launchers to the economic sector to lift financial pressure off the people.

 

Speaking at a consultative meeting with the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Ghalibaf emphasized that Iran and China are partners in the full sense of the word and will definitely be the core of newly forming regional blocs.

 

Ghalibaf stated that he does not want to preach extravagance, but rather to provide a comfortable life and welfare for the people, urging the nation to build the country with power and across all sectors.

 

He specified that China is unique for Iran and that Beijing must believe—and will believe—that Iran is not merely a customer or a commercial counterpart, but an all-encompassing partner.

 

Due to regional conditions, he noted the necessity of forming new regional alliances, stating that these blocs have already formed to some extent, and that Iran and China will have a definitive presence and serve as the axis for any future alignments.

 

The Parliament Speaker added that adjusting policies and arranging this cooperation fall within his assigned mission, which is why he requested a serious presence from the private sector at the meeting, noting that delaying this matter by even an hour is an injustice to the country and the people, so everyone can see Iran is strong economically, just as it is politically and securely.

 

The importance of the session for Ghalibaf was highlighted by his statement that he requested the meeting less than 48 hours after finding his first relief from wartime conditions and its resulting priorities.

 

He explained that he did not come by invitation but by his own request, coming with pride to extend a hand for assistance to talk with the attendees, adding that those who know him know he does not wait if someone does not join.

 

He insisted that these regional blocs must be formed and that he is moving forward with power across all dimensions including technology, economy, and politics, emphasizing the need to advance these tasks with dignity and logic but completely without tension.

 

Ghalibaf also offered his condolences for the days of Muharram and honored the memory of the “martyrs of the 12-Day War”, the Ramadan War, and the late Imam, stating that Iran’s current material, spiritual, and dignified status is the result of past sacrifices and that they must guard this blood.

 

The Parliament Speaker clarified that he is not an economist, has never made such a claim, and possesses a maximum capability as a manager to coordinate and adjust certain matters. He explicitly avoided entering specific economic examples, noting these issues have been repeatedly discussed and documented since.

 

He argued that officials in any position must understand that it is the people who drive the economy, culture, politics, and all areas of the country, and that authorities can at best act as facilitators provided they do not create obstacles in the people’s path, a reality he noted that officials often fail to grasp while sitting behind their desks.

 

He asserted that the people are the main axis of progress and an invaluable, irreplaceable asset who recently reintroduced Iran to both friends and enemies during the recent war, while the people themselves learned to better recognize their friends and enemies.

 

Ghalibaf stated that Islamic Iran is more recognized in the world today than in the early days of the revolution, with the world witnessing a different Iran after 47 years.

 

He pointed to the massive events inside and outside the country from June of last year to June of this year as evidence of the country’s unique global standing, citing data showing that 31 million people registered their information in the “Janfada Campaign” as proof of the nation’s greatness and Ashura spirit.

 

He noted this assessment is not emotional but based on his managerial experience in various development sectors. Looking at the history of economic relations with China, Ghalibaf admitted that the desired results have not been achieved in many areas, requiring an honest question about where the fault lies and who will resolve it.

 

To improve relations, he called for reforming economic and financial infrastructures, stating the need to create a financial system and execute deep, precise, and extensive mechanisms in logistics, transportation, technology, and infrastructure.

 

This would connect the two countries within a shared ecosystem spanning from education to markets and supply chains, requiring both nations to connect across various economic dimensions.

 

He stated that the political system, geographic location, stability of the regime, zeal of the people, Iranian intelligence, and divine belief are aligned with divine traditions, through which the people stood against and defeated global arrogance and the United States.

 

He stated that anyone who thinks the U.S. army or the Israeli regime’s army is incompetent is mistaken, acknowledging the U.S. as the world’s top military and the Israeli regime as a nuclear power and the region’s top military with peak ferocity, yet emphasizing that the Iranian people brought down such powers through belief in divine traditions.

 

Ghalibaf noted that he is not among the managers who call sanctions a scrap of paper, recalling that Iran experienced a 12 percent industrial economic growth in the past compared to the situation today, but stressed that if lifting sanctions means surrender, they will never do so because the nation and officials have shown they would give their lives before surrendering.

 

He reiterates that everyone must take over the trenches from the warriors in the field, stand firm, lift economic pressure off the people, and build the country with power.

 

Ghalibaf stated he has no doubt that just as success was achieved in the defense field through the zeal of the people and diplomatic efforts, success will also be reached in national development and reconstruction by relying on existing capacities.

 

He termed Iran an investment paradise, claiming that even if the country lacked mines and oil, its geopolitical and geopolitical-strategic position alone would suffice to manage the country in the best and highest condition, a statement he based on 30 years of studying, teaching, and working in political geography.

 

Finally, Ghalibaf proposed designing a digital dashboard with the help of the chamber so he can observe the daily economic pulse and Iran-China relations, see the flaws, and exchange issues with the private sector to resolve problems together, concluding that while foreign relations are pursued in all dimensions, the absolute priority with China remains the economic sector.