Iran Ready To ‘Both Fight And Negotiate,’ Says Parliament Speaker

ISTANBUL, Oct 4 – Iran is prepared to “both fight and negotiate” in its ongoing conflict with the United States, declared Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf on Sunday, October 4, 2026.

Addressing parliament in Tehran, Qalibaf emphasized that Iran remains “neither excited nor intimidated” by actions taken by Washington, asserting that the country will leverage both military capabilities and diplomatic avenues to safeguard its national interests.

“We are present in the military battlefield with all our strength, and we will face them with new surprises, and we use the tools of diplomacy to establish our superiority in the military field and impose the rights of the Iranian people,” Qalibaf was quoted as saying by Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.

Strait of Hormuz and Islamabad Memorandum Framework

Qalibaf confirmed that Washington has communicated counter-proposals through third-party mediators following Tehran’s submission of a seven-day operational roadmap to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

Key conditions and diplomatic developments include:

• Strait Mandate: Tehran reiterated that maritime passage through the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until all seven Iranian conditions outlined under the June Islamabad Memorandum framework are satisfied.
• Formal Demands: The roadmap builds on formal terms submitted to the US via Qatari mediators last month to conclude the military conflict that began on February 28, 2026.
• Core Requirements: Iran’s primary demands encompass a full cessation of hostilities across all operational fronts, the immediate release of frozen national financial assets, and an unconditional lifting of the naval blockade targeting Iranian commercial ports.

–NMT