TEHRAN: Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Iran will never recognize Israel and pledged continued support for what he described as Muslim nations and resistance groups through military deterrence and political pressure.
Speaking during meetings in Tehran with Hamas leadership council chief Mohammad Darwish and other regional figures, Ghalibaf said implementation of the Islamabad memorandum of understanding would be difficult but achievable.
He said Iran continues to have significant disagreements with the United States despite the agreement, adding that Tehran’s position toward Washington has not changed.
Ghalibaf said Iran would continue to support resistance groups in line with the directives of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei through its missile capabilities and political influence.
The Iranian parliament speaker also urged Muslim countries to play a greater role in regional affairs, arguing that recent developments have shown cooperation with the United States and Israel does not guarantee their security.
In a separate meeting with the vice chairman of Yemen’s Houthi Supreme Political Council, Ghalibaf described the memorandum of understanding with the United States as a political and military success for Iran and the so-called “Axis of Resistance.”
He also met with senior Hezbollah official Mohammad Fneish, where he said lasting peace in Lebanon could not be achieved without Iran’s involvement and claimed Tehran had made a ceasefire in Lebanon a central element of negotiations with Washington.
The remarks reflect Iran’s official position and have not been independently verified. Neither the United States nor Israel immediately responded to Ghalibaf’s statements.