Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has disclosed details of behind-the-scenes negotiations with the United States, describing a tense standoff involving a US minesweeper during talks in Islamabad.

In a television interview, Ghalibaf said Iranian officials confronted the US delegation over naval activity in the Strait of Hormuz, reiterating that the Strait of Hormuz is under the control of the Islamic Republic. He said Tehran viewed US efforts to clear mines in the waterway as a violation of the ceasefire, warning that tensions were close to escalating.

In Islamabad, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf told the American delegation that if their minesweeper moves even a little further from its position, we will definitely shoot it. Meanwhile, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said Tehran is not prepared to engage in a new round of direct talks with US officials, citing Washington’s refusal to abandon what he described as maximalist demands, particularly regarding Iran’s nuclear programme.