Qalibaf says Iran will judge US actions, not words
Negotiators reportedly strike deal to extend ceasefire
Iran’s top negotiator said on Friday that Tehran does not trust guarantees and words, and would judge the other side by its actions as there are reports of an agreement between Iran and the United States to extend their ceasefire and start a new round of talks.
“We have no trust in guarantees or words – only actions are the measure,” Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said in a statement shared on X. “No action will be taken before the other side acts.”
“We seize concessions not through dialogue, but with missiles; in negotiations, we merely make them understand”, Qalibaf added.
He also said the winner of any agreement is the one who is better prepared for war from the day after.
His comments came after western media reported Iran and the United States have edged toward an agreement to extend their ceasefire for 60 days and launch new negotiations, though US President Donald Trump has yet to approve it, and Iranian state media says it has not been finalized.
US sources speaking to AFP also confirmed reporting by Axios that the two sides had agreed on a memorandum of understanding to prolong the ceasefire and launch negotiations on Iran's nuclear program.
Under the proposed deal, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz would be unrestricted, with no tolls; Iran would remove all mines within 30 days; and the US would lift its naval blockade if commercial traffic resumes, Axios reported.
But Iran's Tasnim News Agency, citing a source close to Tehran's negotiators, said the text had not been finalized.
Iranian sources cited by local media said any deal would be complete only when announced by Tehran, not unilaterally by the US president.
On Thursday, US Vice President JD Vance confirmed there was a tentative agreement, adding that negotiations had "made a lot of progress."
But he said it was unclear if President Donald Trump would approve it.
“It’s hard to say exactly when or if the president’s going to sign,” Vance told reporters.
"We're going back and forth on a couple of language points," he added.
The development came amid renews exchange of fire between the two sides.
Tehran on Thursday accused Washington of violating the truce following new attacks on areas in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas in Iran.
The US strikes prompted Iran to target "the American airbase that served as the source of the attack," state broadcaster IRIB reported, citing the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).
The IRGC did not specify the location of the base, but Kuwait, which hosts US troops, said its air defenses responded to incoming fire.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei strongly condemned the US violations of the ceasefire, emphasizing Iran’s determination to take all necessary measures to defend its national sovereignty and territorial integrity in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter.