Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has claimed that US President Donald Trump effectively acknowledged Iran’s “Axis of Resistance” by signing the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.
According to media reports, he said Trump had initially demanded that Iran abandon its missile and nuclear programmes, its “Resistance Front” and control over the Strait of Hormuz.
However, Ghalibaf said, the US president eventually signed the MoU, which he viewed as an implicit recognition of the resistance alliance.
According to him, Trump had also stated that Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz under the agreement, while the US would end its blockade of Iranian ports.
He said he directed Iranian negotiators to insist that Trump remove the statement, warning that Iran would respond militarily if it remained.
Ghalibaf claimed Trump deleted the second part of the post 58 minutes later. He further said that Iran suspended negotiations after Israel launched an attack on Beirut’s Dahiyeh, warning that Tehran would retaliate and expand its response across the region if Israel carried out additional strikes.
Ghalibaf characterised the negotiations with the UD as “combat diplomacy” and said Trump ultimately retreated from his position on the Strait of Hormuz during the talks mediated by Pakistan.
