A strategy built on lies and concealment

Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Friday called for a ceasefire in Lebanon and the unfreezing of Iranian assets as conditions for any peace negotiations with the United States, as talks are expected to take place Saturday in Pakistan.

In a post on X, Ghalibaf stated that both measures had already been agreed upon and must be implemented before negotiations begin. However, there has been no public confirmation from U.S. or international sources that such conditions form part of any pre-existing agreement.

The demand to release frozen Iranian assets marks a notable escalation in tone. While Tehran has consistently called for sanctions relief, presenting it as a prerequisite for talks introduces additional uncertainty into an already fragile diplomatic process.

Analysts note that introducing new conditions at this stage risks undermining trust and complicating efforts to launch meaningful dialogue. The absence of clarity over what has or has not been agreed raises concerns about diverging narratives between the parties.

Ghalibaf, a former senior figure within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, is often associated with Iran’s hardline camp. His remarks are likely to reinforce skepticism among Western officials about Tehran’s intentions ahead of the talks.