Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said today (Wednesday) that the memorandum of understanding signed between Iran and the United States in Islamabad amounts to “a declaration of U.S. defeat.” He made the remarks at the 20th conference of the Parliamentary Union of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (PUIC) member states in Baku, Azerbaijan.
1+“The Islamabad memorandum has become a declaration of U.S. defeat,” Ghalibaf said in his speech. He stressed that the agreement proves dialogue can only succeed when “the other side stops trying to impose its will and accepts Iran’s rights.” According to him, the memorandum is not the result of pressure or coercion, but of “steadfastness, resistance, and strength.”
The memorandum, which includes 14 main provisions, was signed digitally exactly one week ago after discussions mediated by Pakistan, Qatar, and others. Among the key points: an immediate and permanent cessation of military strikes on all fronts including Lebanon, opening the Strait of Hormuz to free shipping without fees for at least 60 days, sanctions relief, return of frozen funds, and a 60-day window for negotiations on a final agreement including nuclear and regional issues.
1+Ghalibaf, who served as head of the Iranian negotiating team, signed the document alongside U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance. Tehran is presenting the agreement as a strategic victory, since the U.S. failed to achieve regime change, full control of Hormuz, or complete dismantling of missile capabilities.
In his speech in Baku, Ghalibaf also emphasized the Palestinians’ right to self-determination, the need for security and economic cooperation among Muslim countries, and “a combination of strong defense, national unity, and diplomacy” as the foundation of Iranian security. The statements reflect the official Iranian narrative of “victory through resistance.”