Iran's top negotiator slams US’s 'theater diplomacy on loop'

Iran's parliament speaker and chief negotiator in talks with the United States criticized what he described as US "theater diplomacy on loop," referring to President Donald Trump's pattern of announcing attacks and later calling them off.

"'Massive attack coming … wait, never mind, they want to negotiate.' That's theater diplomacy on loop," Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf wrote on the US social media platform X.

Ghalibaf said the use of bullying, broken promises and fake news constituted a "failed strategy."

"Acknowledge the facts and fulfill your commitments. We don't need more theater," he added.

Trump said Thursday that he is "involved" in the negotiations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and suggested an agreement could be reached "soon."

In recent weeks, the US and Iran have exchanged military strikes, with Washington targeting what it calls military sites belonging to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Tehran responding by targeting what it described as US military facilities in several Gulf countries, particularly Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait.

The escalation came despite a memorandum of understanding signed by the US and Iran in June and the launch of negotiations toward a final agreement.

The talks later stalled over disagreements concerning security guarantees and freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most strategically important routes for energy supplies and global trade.

Trump last week threatened to hit Iran "very hard," warning he could target energy facilities, bridges and power plants. He later said he halted the strikes because Iran agreed to restart talks.

According to multiple US media outlets, depleted interceptor stockpiles had also factored into his decision to hold off on additional strikes on Iran.