Iranian Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said his country prioritizes diplomacy with the US but is also ready for war.
Speaking on state television, Qalibaf said Iran's current meetings aim to fulfill the obligations of the memorandum of understanding signed between the two countries. He stressed that no further negotiations will be held until the terms of the agreement signed with Washington are met.
Qalibaf said, "We are making progress in dialogue, but if dialogue is not implemented, we are also ready for war and will respond accordingly." He stated that the guarantee for implementing the memorandum of understanding is not UN resolutions but Iran's power.
At a time when the two countries are preparing to sit at separate negotiating tables in Doha, Qalibaf said Iran, together with the Sultanate of Oman, has sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz and will never give up its rights in the strait. Stating that they would exchange views with regional countries on this issue, Qalibaf warned that free passage through the strait is limited to only 60 days under the memorandum of understanding.
Qalibaf noted that they could not export any oil during the US blockade of Iranian ports, and that exports have risen to 40 million barrels since the blockade was lifted.