Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has called for the United States to face consequences for what he described as broken promises, insisting that Washington must change its conduct and accept Iran’s demands as tensions between the two countries continue to escalate.
“The US must be penalised and made to alter its conduct,” Ghalibaf said in a statement carried by Iran’s state news agency IRNA on Thursday.
He said US President Donald Trump had made commitments regarding a proposal presented during negotiations but subsequently broken them.
“Regarding the proposal presented, the US president made promises and then broke them,” Ghalibaf said.
The Iranian parliament speaker also stressed that negotiations alone could not guarantee the country’s security, arguing that Iran must combine diplomacy with military strength to deter future attacks.
Ghalibaf Calls for Military Strength and Diplomacy
Speaking in an interview late on Wednesday, Ghalibaf questioned whether an agreement with Washington would prevent further attacks on Iran, even if it included formally documented American commitments.
He rejected the idea that Iran should rely exclusively on military confrontation, saying the country needed a strategy that combined negotiations with the ability to defend itself.
“The solution is to fight and negotiate at the same time to establish lasting deterrence,” he said.
Ghalibaf argued that Iran needed to become sufficiently powerful to convince the United States and other regional and international actors that attacks against the country would not achieve their objectives.
He also said military gains should be translated into diplomatic and political outcomes.
“Whenever we achieve a military victory on the battlefield, we must also turn that victory into a political victory, consolidate it and turn it into a document of defeat for the enemy,” he added.
His remarks underscored Tehran’s position that any diplomatic settlement must be accompanied by measures it considers sufficient to prevent renewed military action.
Speaker @mb_ghalibaf: Regarding the proposal presented, as we’ve said before, the US president made promises and then broke them. America must be penalized and made to alter its conduct, so it understands that it has to accept the Iranian nation’s rightful demands. https://t.co/vhNwTlbf0N
— IRNA News Agency ☫ (@IrnaEnglish) October 14, 2026
Iran Says Strait of Hormuz Remains Closed
Separately, Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, deputy chief of the Iranian Army for coordination, said on Thursday that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed and that vessels seeking passage must coordinate with Iranian forces.
Speaking to reporters during a ceremony honouring army nurses, Sayyari said the situation was reflected in oil flows and rising gasoline prices in the United States.
He said Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy maintained a strong presence west of the strait, while the Iranian Army operated east of it, extending its presence towards the Sea of Oman.
“If any passage takes place, it must be coordinated; otherwise, people will see in the news what happens,” Sayyari said.
The statement signals that Tehran intends to maintain its restrictions on maritime traffic amid the continuing confrontation with Washington.
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical international shipping route through which a substantial share of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies normally passes. Restrictions and attacks in the area have disrupted shipping and increased concerns about energy supplies and transportation costs.
Iran: Strait of Hormuz remains closed, requires coordination for passage
https://t.co/YO2Q3NaR2r https://t.co/OkvHiLXckc
— IRNA News Agency ☫ (@IrnaEnglish) October 15, 2026
US Weighs Potential Use of Powerful Bomb Against Iran
Meanwhile, CNN reported on Thursday that the US military had developed plans that could include using the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, commonly known as the “mother of all bombs”, against Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear sites if Trump orders renewed combat operations.
The report cited US officials familiar with the military planning discussions.
The GBU-43/B is the largest non-nuclear bomb in the US arsenal. Its potential use against Iran would represent a significant escalation, although questions reportedly remain about whether such a strike would achieve Washington’s broader strategic objectives.
Reuters said it could not immediately verify CNN’s report.
The reported planning comes amid uncertainty over the future course of the conflict and continuing efforts to determine whether negotiations can produce a lasting settlement.
Iran sets seven conditions for reopening Strait of Hormuz
Trump Predicts Iran War Will End Soon
Trump said on Wednesday that the war with Iran would end “very soon” and predicted that oil prices would fall sharply once the conflict concluded.
“The Iran war will end very soon … Soon, as they want it to end,” Trump told reporters in Montana.
He also said Iran would never acquire a nuclear weapon and predicted that oil prices would “drop like a rock” after the war.
However, the president expressed uncertainty about which Iranian officials Washington was negotiating with.
“They don’t have a navy. They don’t have an air force. Their army is decimated. Their leaders are gone,” Trump said, describing the impact of US military operations.
He also claimed that Iran’s naval fleet had been destroyed and that none of its fighter jets remained available for use. These assessments were presented as Trump’s claims.
The contrasting statements from Washington and Tehran highlight the continuing gap between the two sides over military pressure, negotiations and the conditions needed to end the conflict.
Two Cargo Ships Sink Near Strait of Hormuz
Maritime security concerns intensified after two commercial vessels sank near the Strait of Hormuz within approximately 24 hours after separate projectile incidents, according to maritime officials.
The Singapore-flagged container ship GFS Pride was damaged and caught fire before sinking while transiting the strait on Tuesday. Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority said all 21 crew members were safely evacuated and no injuries were reported.
In a separate incident, the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged bulk carrier Cape Dao sank near the strait after being struck by a projectile on September 23, according to data from the International Maritime Organization. Maritime sources said one crew member was killed and the remaining crew members were evacuated following the earlier strike.
The vessels were the second and third ships reported to have sunk since the US-Iran war began on February 28, according to an analysis of IMO casualty data cited in the report.
Singapore’s maritime authority expressed concern over the continuing attacks on commercial shipping, describing them as unjustifiable and a breach of international law.
Maritime risk management company MARISKS warned that the threat was not limited to oil tankers, with container ships and bulk carriers also suffering serious damage.
Shipping Disruptions Add to Global Energy Concerns
The escalation around Hormuz has heightened concerns about the security of one of the world’s most important energy corridors.
Iran has sought to tighten its control over maritime traffic following US and Israeli strikes that began on February 28, using restrictions on shipping as leverage in its confrontation with Washington.
Reuters reported that Iran had been adopting new tactics against vessels it considers non-compliant with its restrictions, with senior Iranian officials saying the country intended to maintain pressure on the United States.
The continuing attacks and restrictions have increased risks for commercial shipping, complicated energy transportation and contributed to volatility in oil markets.
With Ghalibaf insisting that Iran will pursue military deterrence alongside diplomacy, Sayyari demanding coordination for passage through Hormuz and Trump predicting an imminent end to the war, the situation remains uncertain.
The future of negotiations and the security of commercial shipping will depend on whether Washington and Tehran can resolve their differences over military operations, maritime access and the commitments each side expects from the other.
