Tehran: Iranian Deputy Parliament Speaker Hamidreza Haji Babaei said Iran would "never reach an understanding with America," asserting that the Strait of Hormuz is "the pinnacle of our power" while reiterating support for the "resistance" and warning Ukraine against any "mischief" in the Caspian Sea, according to Iranian news agency ISNA.
According to ISNA, speaking during the parliament's public and closed session on Monday, Haji Babaei began by referring to Hezbollah's recent pledge of allegiance to Iran's leadership, saying it was "the high peak of the nation and the victorious face of the resistance," which had "many effects on the international stage and especially in the region" and demonstrated the strength of the "Islamic nation and the resistance," against which "America and the Zionist regime [Israel] were forced to retreat."
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He also referred to remarks by late Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei, saying Iran had made "preserving the territorial integrity of Lebanon and the complete and unconditional elimination of the Zionist regime's aggression" the first condition for any memorandum of understanding to end the "imposed war with the aggressor America."
Quoting the current Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, Haji Babaei said, "There is no other way forward but jihad and resistance, and persistence in this path will bring the promised divine victory to the mujahideen of the true path."
Turning to the United States, Haji Babaei said, "America should not be allowed to fight whenever it wants and declare a ceasefire whenever it wants. The Islamic Republic of Iran must stand strong against America's will and not allow America to be an active player in the region."
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He argued that "the will of the great Iranian nation has shown that America is passive, and America must remain passive in our politics as well," adding, "America's war is war, its peace is war, and its dialogue is war; therefore, we must be careful, because we will never reach an understanding with America, and it is the will of the nation that can always be decisive."
On the strategic Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant share of global oil shipments passes, Haji Babaei said, "The Strait of Hormuz created great power for the Iranian nation, and today it is the pinnacle of our power. This peak of power and dignity of the great Iranian nation must definitely be supported and protected."
In reference to the recent strikes in the Caspian Sea on Iranian vessels, Haji Babaei issued a warning to Ukraine, saying, "We warn Ukrainian employers that any mischief by your contractor in the region and the Caspian Sea will result in a regretful response from the great Iranian nation."
