IRAN has asserted that it emerged “victorious in the field” during recent weeks of conflict with the United States, with its parliament speaker insisting that a temporary ceasefire was accepted only after Tehran’s demands were satisfied, as a fragile truce approaches its scheduled expiry amid uncertain peace negotiations.
AFP reported Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf saying, in a nationally televised address on April 18, diplomatic efforts continue to secure a longer-term settlement.
“We were victorious in the field,” he said, adding that the United States had failed to achieve its objectives during the confrontation and that Iran retained control over the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz maritime transit route.
He said Tehran’s acceptance of the temporary ceasefire was conditional. “If we accepted the ceasefire, it was because they accepted our demands,” he said, referring to the United States.
Describing negotiations as an extension of confrontation by other means, he added: “The enemy’s every effort was to impose its demands on us and it is important that we register our rights, so this is where negotiation is a method of struggle.”
Ghalibaf said progress had been made in discussions aimed at ending the conflict, but stressed that a comprehensive agreement remained distant.
“We are still far from the final discussion,” he said, adding that “we made progress in the negotiations, but there are many gaps and some fundamental points remain”.
The current two-week ceasefire is due to expire on April 22 unless extended, with international mediators, including Pakistan, continuing efforts to broker a more durable agreement.
However, key sticking points remain unresolved and officials have indicated that a final settlement is not yet within reach.
Ghalibaf and members of his delegation previously held closed-door talks in Islamabad with US Vice-President J.D. Vance on April 11, marking the highest-level contact between Tehran and Washington since before Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Despite the discussions, no final agreement was reached. Officials from both sides have since signalled that mediation efforts are ongoing, although Iran’s deputy foreign minister said on April 18 that no date has been set for another round of talks. - April 19, 2026
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