Iran Negotiator Ghalibaf Keeps US Talks Open Despite Collapse of 14-Point Cease-Fire
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 15
Iran Negotiator Ghalibaf Keeps US Talks Open Despite Collapse of 14-Point Cease-Fire
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 15
Summary
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Iran still sees room for negotiations with the United States, calling diplomacy and war parallel tools for defending national interests despite renewed fighting.
His first public remarks since days of U.S. airstrikes on military sites, railroads and seaports framed talks as compatible with resistance, saying negotiations "do not amount to capitulation."
The opening came after both Tehran and Washington declared their 14-point cease-fire memorandum dead, while Iran launched ballistic missile and drone attacks at U.S. bases in the Middle East.
The breakdown has also sharpened the struggle over the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran saying the waterway is closed and the U.S. military resuming a naval blockade on Iran's southern coast.
With both Iran and the US claiming control of the Strait of Hormuz, what could finally force a breakthrough or catastrophic escalation in this standoff?
How might Iran’s strategy of mixing military resistance with diplomatic overtures reshape the Middle East’s balance of power in the coming months?
As Iran’s economy suffers massive war damage, is there any realistic path to peace that avoids deepening humanitarian disaster for ordinary Iranians?