Iran’s Parliament Speaker, Mohammed-Bagher Ghalibaf, denounced political figures in Tehran who oppose holding ceasefire talks with the US, London-based anti-regime outlet Iran International reported on Monday.

Ghalibaf, who jointly heads Tehran’s delegation at negotiations with the US along with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, called out opponents of the talks, saying that they will “destroy Iran” by attempting to prevent US talks.

The report names two hardline politicians, Saeed Jalili and Amir-Hossein Sabeti, as being picked out by Ghalibaf as “extremists.”

Ghalibaf emphasized that this “militant current” is seeking to intensify opposition to holding talks with the US by using Iran’s state broadcasters and provoking Iranian civilians by supporting fundamentalists and hardliners, according to the report.

Ghalibaf reportedly concerned he may be removed from office

Ghalibaf has also expressed concerns over threats that he and Araghchi might be removed from their positions, the report noted.

Jalili was Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator and secretary of the Supreme National Security Council from October 2007 until September 2013, and has served as a member of the Expediency Discernment Council since September 2013.

He has run for the office of president several times, most recently in 2024, when he lost the runoff to Masoud Pezeshkian.

Sabeti is in his late 30s – part of the generation born after the Islamic Revolution, and is regarded as a hardliner within Iran’s government.