Published: 12:27 AM, 25 June 2026
Tehran calls deal 'declaration of US defeat'
US Vice President JD Vance (3rdR), Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Qatar's Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani speak together during a quadrilateral meeting between the United States, Iran, Pakistan and Qatar at the Burgenstock luxury hotel complex near Lake Lucerne, Switzerland, on June 21, 2026. -AFP
The deal between Iran and the United States to end the Middle East war is "America's declaration of defeat," Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, head of the Iranian negotiating team, said Wednesday.
"The Islamabad understanding was not the result of pressure and coercion, but rather the result of the resistance and authority of the brave Iranian nation," Ghalibaf said at a conference in Azerbaijan in remarks broadcast on Iranian television.
"That is why the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) became a declaration of America's defeat," he said, adding that security in the Middle East must be ensured by countries in the region.
Iran and the U.S. announced on June 14 that they had reached a 14-point understanding mediated by Pakistan, aimed at ending the war and addressing outstanding disputes through dialogue and negotiations.
The memorandum, known as the Islamabad Understanding, entered into force on June 18 after being electronically signed by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and U.S. President Donald Trump.
The agreement includes provisions related to ending the war, including in Lebanon, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and lifting the U.S. naval blockade imposed on Iran.
Tehran says end of Lebanon war 'as important' as end of Iran war
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Wednesday that ending the war in Lebanon is as important to Tehran as ending the war in Iran, according to the ISNA news agency.
Speaking at the 20th Session of the Conference of the Parliamentary Union of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Member States in Baku, Azerbaijan, Ghalibaf said: "The ceasefire and ending the war in Lebanon is as important to us as the ceasefire and ending the war in Iran."
The four-day conference, which began on Monday, has brought together more than 400 delegates from OIC member states.
Ghalibaf's remarks came as Iran continues negotiations with the U.S. under the framework of the Islamabad MoU, which includes provisions related to ending military operations across the region, including Lebanon.
Thefirst article of the memorandum states that Iran, the U.S. and their respective allies commit to the immediate and permanent cessation of military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon.
Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed more than 4,100 people and injured more than 12,000 others since March 2, according to official Lebanese figures.
Israel continues to occupy areas in southern Lebanon, some held for decades and others seized during the 2023-2024 war.
Technical talks to resume next week
Technical-level talks between the U.S. and Iran will resume next week following a temporary pause, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.
"The technical talks will resume next week. This is a temporary break and the talks will continue," Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi told reporters in Islamabad.
According to Andrabi, technical talks are expected to resume early next week, following hours-long discussions between Iran and the U.S. in Burgenstock, Switzerland, on Monday.
Technical teams from the mediating countries, Pakistan and Qatar, will continue working with their U.S. and Iranian counterparts in the coming weeks to support implementation of the Islamabad MoU, which is aimed at reaching a final peace deal within 60 days, Andrabi said.
He said the Islamabad MoU signed by the U.S. and Iranian presidents last week, as well as the subsequent Switzerland summit, underscored the importance of dialogue and diplomacy as effective tools for resolving disputes and reducing tensions.
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