Iran's Ghalibaf takes swipe at Trump's 'theater diplomacy on loop'

Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - TEHRAN — Iran's parliament speaker and chief negotiator has slammed what he described as Amercan "theater diplomacy on loop," referring to President Donald Trump's pattern of repeatedly ordering attacks on Iran and then calling them off.

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf made the remarks in a social media post on Thursday, just days after Trump called off his latest planned strikes, claiming that “the perimeters of a deal” had already been agreed to with Tehran.

"'Massive attack coming … wait, never mind, they want to negotiate.' That’s theater diplomacy on loop," Ghalibaf wrote on X.

Ghalibaf said the use of bullying, broken promises and fake news constituted a "failed strategy."

"Acknowledge the facts and fulfill your commitments. We don’t need more theater," he added.

Trump said Thursday that he is “involved” in the negotiations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and suggested an agreement could be reached “soon.”

“I think it’s going to end pretty soon. I don’t think they can go much longer,” he said in the Oval Office.

He added that he is involved in the negotiations with Tehran. “I think we’re doing fine,” Trump said.

On Saturday, Trump canceled a planned large-scale military attack on Iran, claiming that Tehran and other countries in the region had asked the US to call off the strikes as a diplomatic breakthrough was close.

Dismissing the narrative, Ghalibaf said Washington keeps switching from military threats to offers of negotiation as a failed pressure tactic.

Iran has been holding talks with Oman to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with Tehran claiming that a deal is “on the verge of being finalized“, after both countries agreed on the coordinates of routes through the critical waterway.

The strait, a major artery for global energy, was a free international passage before Israel and the US attacked Iran on February 28, launching what has turned into a months-long regional war.

After the attacks, Tehran effectively shut the strait, and now asserts sovereignty over the waterway, parts of which pass through Iranian and Omani territorial waters.

The closure of the strait and attacks on energy infrastructure in the region, by both the US and Iran, have sent oil prices soaring.

In recent weeks, the US and Iran have exchanged military strikes, with Washington targeting what it calls military sites belonging to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Tehran responding by targeting what it described as US military facilities in several Gulf countries, particularly Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait.

The escalation came despite a memorandum of understanding signed by the US and Iran in June and the launch of negotiations toward a final agreement.

The talks later stalled over disagreements over security guarantees and freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump last week threatened to hit Iran "very hard," warning he could target energy facilities, bridges and power plants. He later said he halted the strikes because Iran agreed to restart talks.

According to multiple US media outlets, depleted interceptor stockpiles had also factored into his decision to hold off on additional strikes on Iran.

Trump has been asserting for months that Iran is already defeated and that the conflict is on the verge of ending. Iranian officials, however, have emphasized that they are prepared for a long war.