Trump hints at talks with a respected Iranian hardliner as potential interlocutor
TL;DR
Trump said the U.S. was in “very strong talks” with a “very respected” Iranian figure who could act as a negotiator, with many reports naming Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. Ghalibaf is a longtime security insider linked to the IRGC and known for suppressing protests, and he denies any negotiations with Washington. The episode underscored Iran’s hardline posture even as indirect talks continued amid rising tensions and a regional war.
- Trump says US talking with ‘respected’ figure in Iran. It may be a war veteran with a record of suppressing dissent CNN
- Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, a ‘Wannabe Strongman’ Rises in Iran as Trump Seeks a Dealmaker WSJ
- ‘We're in the testing phase’: Trump admin eyeing Iran’s parliament speaker as US-backed leader Politico
- Iran suspects Trump's peace talk push is another trick Axios
- Is the US talking to Iran’s Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and who is he? Al Jazeera
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