Iran’s chief negotiator, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, declared on Friday that only nations prepared for war can engage in talks with the United States, as a mid-June ceasefire memorandum between Tehran and Washington faced renewed strain following a week of mutual military strikes. The statement, made during a meeting with Indonesia’s parliamentary speaker in Tehran, came after US forces bombed targets inside Iran in response to attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran launched missile and drone barrages against American-used bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Jordan.

According to Iranian accounts, Ghalibaf told the Indonesian official that Iran had never sought war but would never surrender to injustice, citing a Quranic duty to resist oppressors. He revealed that during direct negotiations in Switzerland, he had informed US Vice President JD Vance that Tehran harboured “no trust” in Washington. From Tehran’s perspective, the US, Israel, and NATO underestimated Iran’s staying power, believing they could force a capitulation within days, only to face what Iranian officials describe as a military and political stalemate that compelled Washington to seek a truce.

Analysts in the Middle East view Ghalibaf’s remarks as a signal that Iran will maintain its military posture as a prerequisite for diplomacy, effectively conditioning any return to the negotiating table on demonstrated strength. The comments underscore what diplomats in the region describe as deep mutual suspicion that has disrupted the June memorandum, which was brokered by Pakistan with Qatari support and set a 60-day deadline for a final agreement. That timeline has been thrown into doubt by the latest escalation, which Tehran attributes to US violations and Washington blames on Iranian attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

The memorandum had produced one round of direct talks in Switzerland and technical meetings in Doha before the recent hostilities. Despite the breakdown, diplomatic channels remain technically open, and regional actors including Pakistan and Qatar continue efforts to restore calm. No date has been set for a resumption of negotiations, and the Iranian leadership’s public linking of talks to war readiness suggests that any future engagement will be contingent on a stabilisation of the military situation and a recalibration of trust-building measures.