Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf, who leads the negotiation team with the Trump administration, insisted that the Islamic Republic will not abandon seeking revenge for the killing of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, according to a report.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf, who also leads Iran's negotiation team with the Trump administration, reiterated tonight that the Islamic Republic will not abandon its pursuit of revenge for the killing of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The statement follows Ghalibaf's earlier call Thursday at 10:24 Jerusalem for mass attendance at Khamenei's funeral to demand blood revenge, as first reported by The Zioneer. Ghalibaf's insistence on maintaining the revenge narrative underscores the regime's continued hardline posture even as it engages in diplomacy with Washington.
The evolution of Ghalibaf's statements traces a hardening line across the day. At 10:24 Jerusalem, Ghalibaf urged Iranians to flood the funeral and demand blood revenge, initially reported by Abu Ali Express and then across multiple Israeli media outlets. In subsequent versions published at the same time Thursday, he framed revenge as the liberation of Jerusalem and preserving Lebanon, and later called explicitly for mass funeral turnout—messages echoed by a general from Iran's emergency command who warned the US and Israel against miscalculation. The thread shows Ghalibaf progressing from a general vow of revenge to specific calls for public participation, and now to a personal affirmation that the pursuit continues while he simultaneously leads sensitive nuclear talks.
As The Zioneer has reported, Ghalibaf is seen by multiple Iranian sources as the effective decision-maker in Iran, wielding power beyond his official role. A resurfaced 2024 video showed him declaring that negotiating with Trump is dishonorable because Trump is the 'murderer of Qassem Soleimani.' His current role as chief negotiator thus places him in a dual position—leading diplomacy while publicly vowing revenge for the supreme leader killed in a US-Israeli airstrike. The contradictory posture mirrors broader tensions within the regime between hardline revenge narratives and the practical necessity of talks.
What remains open is the timeframe and nature of the promised revenge. Ghalibaf offered no specifics on how or when Iran would act, and the gap between his diplomatic role and his vengeful rhetoric continues to widen. The statement was attributed to a single report, without independent confirmation of the precise wording or context of his remarks tonight.
7 developments
- DevelopingIranian Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf calls for liberation of Jerusalem, ties it to Lebanon ceasefire
- DevelopingIranian Speaker Ghalibaf admits 3,000+ dead in 'unprecedented destruction' while claiming victory
- StrongIranian parliament speaker Ghalibaf: 'Whoever opens fire will bear the consequences'
- StrongIranian Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf: 'Any aggression against Iran will be met with a decisive and immediate response'
Source and signal
- Internal intake