Iran Prioritizes Diplomacy with U.S. but Warns It Is Prepared for War, Ghalibaf Says
"We are pursuing dialogue, but if the dialogue is not implemented, we are also prepared for war and will respond accordingly," Ghalibaf said in an interview with Iranian state television.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Iran's chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said on Tuesday that Tehran remains committed to diplomacy with the United States but is fully prepared to respond militarily if negotiations fail.
"We are pursuing dialogue, but if the dialogue is not implemented, we are also prepared for war and will respond accordingly," Ghalibaf said in an interview with Iranian state television, as Iranian and U.S. delegations prepared for separate discussions in Doha.
Ghalibaf also highlighted what he described as a significant recovery in Iran's oil exports following the lifting of the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports.
"From the day the blockade was lifted until today, we have exported more than 40 million barrels of oil," he said. "By contrast, during the previous 50 to nearly 60 days, we were genuinely unable to export even a single barrel of oil."
His remarks come as Tehran and Washington prepare for indirect technical talks in Qatar later this week to discuss implementing a memorandum of understanding signed earlier this month, aimed at reducing tensions and ending the war in the Middle East.
Earlier on Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei warned that Tehran would respond decisively to any U.S. violation of the memorandum, saying continued breaches could undermine the diplomatic process. He stressed that Iran's upcoming delegation to Doha would focus on technical discussions over implementing the agreement rather than formal negotiations on a final deal.
The talks, expected to take place in the Qatari capital, follow renewed diplomatic efforts by both sides after weeks of heightened regional tensions and are seen as part of broader attempts to preserve communication channels between Tehran and Washington.