Mohammad Ghalibaf, the speaker of Iran’s parliament and one of the negotiators in past talks with the US in Pakistan, warned Iranians of a hard road ahead in a series of audio messages posted by state media.
The US seeks “to destroy the country’s unity in order to force us into surrender,” Ghalibaf said. “Of course, let me also say that we do not underestimate the possibility of military attacks, especially terrorist attacks.”
Ghalibaf’s statements come as President Donald Trump has threatened to bomb Iran further if a final agreement isn’t reached. Around the same time on Wednesday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei appeared to suggest in a social media post that the US is negotiating in bad faith.
Much of Ghalibaf’s audio message focused on belt-tightening, saying that the US intends to break Iran through “economic pressure,” and requesting that Iranians practice thriftiness, calling frugality a “missile that people can fire into the heart of the enemy.”
“My request to all people is that you yourselves practice saving and frugality, and also seriously encourage others to do the same,” Ghalibaf said, calling all “intellectuals and specialists” to approach the government directly with ideas to “solve the problems that arise because of the war.”
The parliamentarian also noted that “the people of America are facing a serious challenge from rising living costs,” favorably contrasting Iranians with their American counterparts.
“Experts specializing in Iran admit that no matter how much economic pressure the Iranian nation faces, because of their independence, the dignity of their homeland, and their faith and beliefs, they will endure these hardships,” Ghalibaf said.
