As reported by CaiLian News on April 27, 261 members of Iran's Parliament issued a statement expressing support for Iran's negotiation delegation. The statement said that in the new round of conflict, the enemy's objective is to create divisions between the government and the people, as well as between the battlefield and civilian and diplomatic fronts. Furthermore, the statement emphasized that MPs trust and support their nation’s negotiation delegation, and specifically back its head, Speaker Mohammad Bagheri Kalibaf.
The fact that 261 members of Iran's Parliament issued a statement supporting the negotiation delegation and Speaker Kalibaf serves primarily to demonstrate unprecedented unity within Iran to the outside world—especially to the United States.
The statement explicitly stated, “The enemy’s goal is to sow division between the government and the people, and across military, civilian, and diplomatic fronts.” Previously, media outlets in the U.S. and Israel had spread rumors about internal rifts among Iran’s government, the Revolutionary Guard, and Speaker Kalibaf, even circulating false claims that Kalibaf had resigned as chief negotiator. This statement, signed by nearly 90% of the total parliamentary seats (290), represents a powerful rebuttal to such speculation, aiming to dismantle adversaries’ strategies of weakening Iran’s negotiating position by inciting internal discord.
The statement defines negotiations as a new front in the struggle against the enemy, emphasizing that the delegation will “firmly safeguard national interests.” This provides strong domestic political backing for the negotiation team, enabling them to project a resolute stance when confronting the U.S.—one that conveys the message: “We are backed by the entire parliament.”
The statement effectively grants Kalibaf and Foreign Minister Alaghazadeh the legitimacy and authority to conduct negotiations.
However, MPs have also clearly drawn “red lines” for negotiations—for example, nuclear issues themselves are off the table, a certain percentage of centrifuges cannot be dismantled, and military presence in specific regions cannot be withdrawn. This means Kalibaf must operate strictly within the boundaries set by the parliament; any attempt to cross these red lines would carry significant domestic political risks.
What makes this statement most noteworthy is not who signed it, but who did not. Although 261 members signed, a small number (29) of hardline core figures refused to endorse it. These long-standing advocates of an aggressive foreign policy and skeptics of negotiations chose silence—an act in itself a powerful political signal. It indicates that even within the conservative camp, there remains serious disagreement over whether to sit at the negotiating table with a country they do not trust.
Speaker Kalibaf himself comes from a hardline background and once declared, “Never trust America.” Now personally leading the negotiations, his position is extremely delicate. This statement can be seen as a political moat he has constructed around himself, shielding him from attacks by more radical factions. He needs this broad support to prove that his negotiations are not “betrayals,” but rather “pragmatic struggles” within the framework of national interest.
In sum, this statement represents a pivotal political move by Iran ahead of negotiations. It sends a clear message to the U.S.: We are united internally, but our red lines are equally clear. Any attempt to exploit our internal divisions or pressure us beyond those limits will fail.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1863656381218828/
Statement: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.