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Iran’s hardline parliament speaker and key negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has warned that Tehran will not honor its obligations under the recently signed memorandum with the US if Washington fails to uphold its side of the deal, according to the press service of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps.
“If the United States does not honor its commitments, there is no way Iran will honor its commitments,” Ghalibaf said, according to the source.
Ghalibaf’s warning was echoed Thursday by the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force, Esmail Qaani, who threatened the US in words translated by MEMRI TV, saying, “Americans should know their place and avoid confronting Muslims.”
Qaani added that “Trump is panicking” and warned that the US “shouldn’t be afraid of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb only, but many other places as well.”
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The warnings came after President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday signed a copy of a memorandum aimed at ending hostilities and resuming traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s hardline parliament speaker and key negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has warned that Tehran will not honor its commitments under the recently signed memorandum with the US if Washington fails to uphold its side of the deal. (Majid Asgaripour/WANA)
The memorandum gives Iran major economic relief while leaving some of the most difficult nuclear questions out of a final deal to be negotiated over the next 60 days. Under the 14-point plan read by the top US official, Washington agreed to begin lifting its naval blockade, work with regional partners on a $300 billion reconstruction and development plan for Iran, and end US, UN and other sanctions in a plan agreed as part of the final deal.
The memorandum also states that all licenses, waivers and permits necessary for related financial activities will be granted by the United States.
In return, Iran also confirmed that it “will not buy or build nuclear weapons,” and the two sides agreed to resolve the fate of Iran’s rich material under the future mechanism, a small way to mix it up in the area under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The deal postpones many of the toughest questions — including how to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program — until a 60-day negotiation period for a final deal.
But the Iranian figure at the heart of the deal is not a spokesman known for moderation.
Ghalibaf, a former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and a long-time resident of the regime, threatened American forces, vowed that Trump would “pay the price” and built his career on loyalty to the Iranian security establishment.
This new warning underscored what experts say is the biggest risk of the deal: Washington could be entering into a deal with officials who could use Iran’s commitments, but who have shown little sign of changing the regime’s long-term stance on the US, Israel or the region.
Ghalibaf, 64, is a product of Iran’s security establishment. He rose through the ranks of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps during the Iran-Iraq War, eventually becoming the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ air force.
He later served as Iran’s national police chief, overseeing the internal security forces responsible for suppressing protests, including the 1999 student uprising, and Qassem Soleimani.
After turning to politics, Ghalibaf tried to run for president many times but failed. Instead he built his career on loyalty to the system, serving as mayor of Tehran for more than a decade before becoming speaker of the parliament in 2020.
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Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf looks on as members of parliament wearing military uniforms chant in support of the IRGC in Tehran, Iran, on Feb. 1, 2026. (Hamed Malekpour/Islamic think tank/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via Reuters)
“Ghalibaf does not have an independent line. His strength is that he is a ‘yes man,'” Beni Sabti, an Iran expert at the Institute for National Security Studies, previously told Fox News Digital. “If he is told to shake hands with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, he will do so. If he is told to step up, he will step up. It is not a measurement, it is about who gives the orders.”
“His name is associated with many corruption allegations, including the misuse of oil funds and sanctions evasion schemes affecting his family. His sons are reportedly implicated and under sanctions,” Sabti said, adding, “There have also been public scandals involving family members traveling abroad and extravagant purchases, including widespread photos of Gugu’s suits arriving.”
Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior official at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said Ghalibaf’s photo at the signing ceremony with the top US official would be a propaganda victory for the government.
“There was a time when the Islamic Republic was afraid to be seen signing something like that,” Ben Taleblu told Fox News Digital. “After the war, this is a sign of taking advantage of the regime, and no one identifies that opportunity better than someone like Ghalibaf, who is from the IRGC, who is a corrupt politician and a wheeler and trader.”
But Taleblu cautioned that Washington should not confuse Ghalibaf’s opportunity with moderation.
“The mud is the myth of Iran’s military balance and the myth that, over time, this regime will consolidate and put aside all the things that have kept it aside for so long,” he said. “Reforming Iran with a deal – that’s a big step up.”
Ghalibaf’s statements during the war reflect a strong stance within the Iranian leadership. In a statement broadcast on Iranian television on Jan. 12 and translated by MEMRI, he warned that the US forces will face disastrous consequences if they confront Iran.
“Come, to see what disaster is befalling American bases, ships and forces,” he said, adding that American troops “will be burned by the fire of Iranian defenders.”
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A man lights a cigarette on fire from a burning effigy of Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf as Israelis gather to support nationwide protests against Iran in Holon, Israel, Jan. 14, 2026. (Ammar Awad/Reuters)
Recently, he warned that “the blood of American soldiers is Trump’s responsibility,” and vowed that Iran will “settle accounts with Americans and Israelis,” adding that “Trump and Netanyahu have crossed our red lines and they will pay the price.”
John Hannah, a senior official at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America and a former national security adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney, said Ghalibaf’s expected role reflects the reality of who holds power inside Iran.
“If you’re going to sign a deal with Iran, those are the forces that are in charge and calling the shots, maybe with the approval of the new Supreme Leader,” Hannah told Fox News Digital. “If the U.S. hopes that Iran will ever implement any of its obligations under the MOU, these are the people — despicable as they are — who can’t do it.”
But Hannah said the key question is whether Iran’s leadership sees compliance as useful, or whether the deal is merely a strategic break.
“The big question is if they see it as their intention to do that, or if they are just buying time for themselves, rebuilding their power and preparing for the next round of chaos,” he said.
Ben Taleblu was even more blunt, warning that even a seemingly favorable agreement would not change the status quo.
“Even if you have a complete agreement, with this kind of government, with this kind of mentality, they will grow,” he said. “I thought we would have learned by now what the regime was doing after the JCPOA. It built a massive arsenal of missiles. It built a terrorist regime that took Israel years of blood, effort and money to dismantle, supported by American support.”
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Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf speaks during a press conference in Tehran, Iran, Nov. 27, 2024. (Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS)
“If we’re involved in paying to play with these guys,” he added, “I’m sorry to cry like this – but something tells me this is bad anyway.”
