"Can't Issue Ultimatum": Iran's Speaker's Warning After Trump's War Pause

As US President Donald Trump announced a pause on attacks on Iran's energy plants for 10 days, Iran's Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf hailed the Islamic Republic's forces, saying their sacrifices have paved the way for a "historic victory". Reports have named 64-year-old Ghalibaf as the president's 'right person' in Tehran.

Taking to X, the Iranian leader said, "Nation of Iran's champion! Your 25 nights of presence in the streets and the sacrifices of the armed forces have created the conditions for a historic victory for dear Iran."

Ghalibaf's remarks signalled defiance at a critical moment in the regional conflict. He claimed Tehran will not allow the cycle of war and temporary ceasefires to continue, framing the current phase as a decisive turning point.

"No one can issue an ultimatum to Iran and the Iranian people. Your children will not let this opportunity slip away until the complete realisation of victory and the breaking of the ominous cycle of "war-ceasefire-war"," he said.

ملت قهرمان ایران!
۲۵ شب حضور شما در خیابان و فداکاری نیروهای مسلح، شرایط پیروزی تاریخی برای ایران عزیز ایجاد کرده است.
هیچ کس نمی‌تواند برای ایران و ایرانی اولتیماتوم تعیین کند.
فرزندان شما این موقعیت را تا تحقق کامل پیروزی و شکستن چرخهٔ شوم «جنگ-آتش‌بس-جنگ» از دست نخواهند داد.

— محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) March 26, 2026

US Policy Shift

The statement coincided with a shift in US policy, as Donald Trump extended the temporary halt on planned strikes on Iranian power plants, signalling ongoing diplomatic engagement alongside continued military pressure. The US President announced that he will pause attacks on Iran's energy plants for 10 days at Tehran's request and said talks with Iran were going "very well," although an Iranian official dismissed a US proposal for ending the conflict as "one-sided and unfair".

The war has killed thousands of people, spread to neighbouring nations and hit the global economy with soaring energy prices since the United States and Israel launched strikes on February 28, after talks about Tehran's nuclear programme failed to yield a deal.

On Thursday, Trump threatened during a cabinet meeting at the White House to increase pressure on Iran if it did not make a deal before later posting on social media that he would pause attacks on Iranian energy plants for 10 days until April 6, 2026.