Iran's framework deal with US helped Tehran strengthen military capabilities: Parliament speaker

The Iran-US framework deal reached this June gave Tehran extra time and resources to strengthen its military capabilities, said the country's parliament speaker on Wednesday.

In a televised address, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said Iran's strategy in the war should combine military action with negotiations to establish what he called "sustainable deterrence."

"We must be strong enough for the US, the world, and the region to understand that they cannot achieve their objectives," he said.

Qalibaf argued that neither negotiations and signed agreements alone nor continued fighting would be enough to prevent future attacks on Iran.

He said Tehran should instead pursue a cycle of "war, negotiations, and deterrence," fighting when necessary while using military gains to secure political advantages at the negotiating table.

"Our goal is to create deterrence by becoming stronger and to establish this strength in the enemy's mind," he said.

Qalibaf said Iran should turn military victories into political gains and use negotiations to obtain the resources and time needed to strengthen its capabilities.

Citing the framework deal reached with Washington in Islamabad, Pakistan in June, Qalibaf said Tehran had anticipated that the US would fail to honor its commitments and so structured the deal in two stages.

He claimed Iran had first achieved a "strategic advantage" on the battlefield before compelling Washington to accept the deal, describing the agreement as a "document of defeat" imposed on the US.

Qalibaf said the agreement gave Iran "sufficient time and resources" to strengthen what he called the country's "components of power."

He said the agreement helped Iran's armed forces become stronger and also allowed the Hezbollah group in Lebanon to bolster its capabilities.

'RESISTANCE FRONT' AND IRAN'S DETERRENCE

Qalibaf said Iran's deterrence capabilities are not limited to its military, citing the strength of its "resistance front," control over the Strait of Hormuz, national cohesion, social and economic resilience, and the country's population as other components of deterrence.

On military capabilities, he claimed Iran's offensive firepower and air defenses had significantly improved between last year's 12-day war and the current conflict.

He said the cycle of "war, negotiations, and deterrence" would continue until Iran became strong enough that its adversaries no longer considered attacking the country.

Qalibaf also said the US must "change its behavior" and accept what he described as the legitimate demands of the Iranian people.

The framework deal was reached in Islamabad on June 18 following months of fighting that began with US-Israeli attacks on Iran in February, with Pakistan and Qatar acting as mediators.

The deal outlined steps toward ending hostilities, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and beginning negotiations on outstanding disputes. Its implementation, however, has been complicated by renewed military confrontations and disagreements between Tehran and Washington over their respective commitments.

Iran has accused Washington of violating the deal and insists that fully reopening the strategic waterway depends on the US fulfilling its commitments, including easing its naval blockade and sanctions-related measures.

Tehran and Washington have continued indirect diplomatic contacts through regional mediators amid heightened tensions in and around the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian officials have said they are reviewing a US proposal for renewed negotiations but insist that Tehran's preconditions must be met before any talks can begin.

The diplomatic efforts come amid escalating maritime tensions, with commercial vessels targeted in and around the Strait of Hormuz and Tehran imposing restrictions on shipping routes it considers unauthorized.