Donald Trump was hoping that Majles (Iran's Islamic Consultative Assembly) or Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf (also spelled Qalibaf) would see reason and prove a valuable negotiator to close the current phase of conflict. But given Ghalibaf’s track record of enthusiastically chanting death to America and threatening to assassinate Trump, that is probably not a likely outcome.
It is entirely understandable that Trump is looking to end the operation against Iran in order to minimize American and Israeli casualties, but unfortunately, we are not likely to get the result we want until and unless the current Iranian regime collapses altogether. They have spent nearly half a century attacking Americans, and they are not going to change their ideology now. Ghalibaf, in particular, has a long track record of insane comments against America and Israel, as exposed by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).
#ICYMI: Iranian Majles Members, Led by Speaker Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf, All in IRGC Uniforms, Threaten the EU with Consequences over Terror Designation, Chant “Death to America!“ pic.twitter.com/p7lN2SvCeo
— MEMRI (@MEMRIReports) February 6, 2026
Trump indicated at the end of March that he would let the press know in “about a week” if Ghalibaf was willing to negotiate reasonably. Given that the United States continues to bomb Iranian targets, and Trump expressed frustration at the lack of a deal, it is obvious that Ghalibaf is being recalcitrant.
MEMRI compiled a list of their translations of Ghalibaf’s most vile and violent comments against America to explain why negotiations aren’t going anywhere. For example, on March 18, Ghalibaf thumbed his nose at Trump, saying the Strait of Hormuz will not reopen. Even while claiming he aimed to "alleviate" tensions, he added, "this does not mean that we would surrender and just stand by, and allow the U.S. and the Zionist regime to impose the order that they want." He was even more extreme on March 1, just after Operation Epic Fury began and the U.S.-Israeli strikes eliminated murderous Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
For Our VIPs: Holy Thursday Reflections: My Visit to the Upper Room in Jerusalem
Ghalibaf claimed that Khamenei was a martyr who "fills our life and our heart" and vowed, "we shall settle the score with the Americans and the Israelis. You have crossed our red line, and you have to pay for that...we shall strike you [with] such might that it will make you come begging."
#ICYMI: Iranian Majles Speaker Qalibaf: Our Imam Khamenei Is Our Life and Our Heart – We Will Not Allow Islamic Iran to Be Devoured; Our Plan Is Already in Place, We Will Settle the Score with the Americans and Israelis pic.twitter.com/wppg8uhUhw
— MEMRI (@MEMRIReports) March 6, 2026
As for the favorite Iranian regime chant of "death to America," we know Ghalibaf has shouted it with great fervor. Earlier this year, when the European Union designated Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) — which had just massacred up to 40,000 of its own people — a terrorist organization, Ghalibaf ranted, "[this] measure taken in obedience to the order of the U.S. president and the heads of the Zionist regime has accelerated the transformation of Europe into an irrelevant [entity]...the armies of the European countries are now considered to be terrorist organizations...Allah Akbar!" He and his fellow Majles members, not content with chanting "Europe, shame on you!" then frenziedly screamed "death to America! Death to America!" You can see it in the clip above.
And in January, just after the horrendous massacre of the Persian freedom protestors, Ghalibaf goaded Trump, "Come, so you can see what catastrophe befalls American bases, ships, and forces," threatening Americans would be "burned by the fire of Iran's defenders." Bragging that "resistance" (i.e., jihad) has become a "global movement," with mobs chanting "anti-Israel slogans" in many cities worldwide, Ghalibaf said he could "teach these oppressive [U.S.] rulers some manners." Ghalibaf got more than he bargained for with that challenge.
Furthermore, Ghalibaf has been making such outrageous statements for years. In 2024, at Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's inauguration, Ghalibaf's speech inspired his fellow Majles members to scream, "Death to Israel! Death to America!"
All of this explains why Ghalibaf is not proving to be a rational negotiator. He's as deranged as all the Iranian regime leaders already eliminated in Operation Epic Fury.
